Europe

Orban Loss, Meloni Setback Signal Left’s EU Return, Ribera Says

Viktor Orban speaks during a closing campaign rally in Budapest, Hungary, on April 11. — Viktor Orban speaks during a closing campaign rally in Budapest, Hungary, on April 11.
Photographer: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg

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By Daniel Basteiro

April 18, 2026 at 4:16 PM UTC

The defeat of Hungary’s Viktor Orban is a warning to conservative European leaders who may be tempted to align closely with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, according to the European Commission’s most senior Social Democrat official.

“It is the right time to think about a turning point,” Teresa Ribera said in an interview in Barcelona, where she’s attending the Global Progressive Mobilization, a gathering of about 100 left-wing parties hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.