How Hungarians Saved Romania — a signal to Victor Orban
The results of Romania’s 2025 presidential election, in which the full force of Russia’s influence operations lost to a pro-EU, pro-democracy math professor, was made possible in part due to ethnic Hungarians. Against the backdrop of rising authoritarianism in Eastern Europe, the ethnic Hungarian Székely community of Transylvania stood up — not just to the far-right candidate George Simion, but to – by proxy – Viktor Orbán himself and the Russian-backed authoritarian kleptocracy he represents.
And in doing so, they have likely saved Romanian democracy.
Orbán’s Quiet Gamble on a Dangerous Man
For years, Orbán has positioned himself as the unyielding defender of ethnic Hungarians beyond Hungary’s borders. His government has lavished these communities with dual citizenship, cultural funding, and a steady narrative of pan-Hungarian unity. In return, the huge Hungarian minority – the Székelys in Romania have delivered near-unanimous support for Fidesz in Hungarian elections.
But this May, Orbán broke that implicit contract.
By backing George Simion — a Romanian ultranationalist with a history of anti-Hungarian rhetoric and a vision aligned with Russian-style politics — Orbán bet on geopolitical influence over the real needs of Hungarian minorities. Motivated by opportunism and Moscow-friendly alignment, the Hungarian government appeared willing to trade the rights of ethnic Hungarians for strategic leverage in Bucharest.
The Székelys were expected to follow.
They did not.
The Ballot Box Revolt
In a stunning show of unity and democratic commitment, Székely voters turned out in large numbers and overwhelmingly supported Nicușor Dan, a liberal independent, helping him secure the presidency. In Harghita County, Dan received over 90% of the vote. In Covasna, over 84%. These are not just statistics — they are political statements.
Székely Hungarians, long caricatured as obedient outposts of Orbánism, rejected a man who posed a real threat to their community, their schools, their culture, and their future. And they did so even when Budapest hinted otherwise.
This wasn’t just an act of political independence. It was a statement of self-preservation, of moral clarity, and of democratic instinct.
That Orbán would align, directly or indirectly, with such a candidate exposes the hollowness of his “peace-oriented” foreign policy. While Budapest speaks of neutrality in the war in Ukraine, it plays with fire at the edges of Europe’s democratic institutions — supporting those who would dismantle them from within.
A Community Speaks
The Székelys had every reason to stay home, disengage, or follow Orbán’s cue. Instead, they chose democracy.
They voted for stability, for moderation, for coexistence — and against extremism, even when that extremism came wrapped in the language of their supposed protector.
In doing so, they sent a message far louder than any speech Orbán has given in Tusnádfürdő — the small Transylvanian town in Romania where he delivers his annual “Tusványos” speech, often laying out his illiberal, pan-Hungarian vision and foreign policy ideology.
“We are not pawns. We know what is at stake.”
A Moment of Reckoning
For Orbán, this election should be a wake-up call. The ethnic Hungarian communities he once could count on are no longer monolithic. Loyalty cannot be taken for granted when your actions betray those who trust you.
And for Europe, it’s a rare moment of hope. In a time when democracies are being eroded from within, the Székelys of Romania showed that the defense of freedom sometimes comes from the most unexpected places — a rural, often overlooked minority that simply refused to be used.
They didn’t just save Romania from Simion.
They saved their dignity — and perhaps reminded us all what democratic courage looks like.