Hungary's former prime minister Viktor Orbán welcomed the far-right Alternative for Germany's (AfD) election victory in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, calling it a major night for Germany and Europe.
"A huge night for Germany and Europe!" the right-wing populist wrote on X on Sunday. "Congratulations to Alice Weidel, Ulrich Siegmund and the entire AfD on their landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt! Buckle up. This is just the beginning!"
Orbán governed Hungary for 16 years, using methods critics described as increasingly authoritarian, before suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of conservative challenger Péter Magyar in the April 12 parliamentary election.
Orbán has maintained ties with right-wing conservatives and populists around the world, including the AfD, whose co-leader Alice Weidel visited him several times in Budapest while he was prime minister.