Global News Podcast

Péter Magyar wins the Hungarian election by a landslide

27 min
Apr 13, 20265 days ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

The Global News Podcast covers major international developments including Péter Magyar's landslide election victory in Hungary, ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule; Iran's defiant response to a US military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; Peru's election irregularities affecting thousands of voters; and critical sanitation issues in Zambian healthcare facilities contributing to maternal deaths.

Insights
  • Hungary's political shift from Orbán's Putin-aligned governance to Magyar's EU-focused administration represents a significant geopolitical realignment with implications for European stability and Ukraine support
  • The US-Iran Strait of Hormuz blockade creates escalation risk despite ongoing ceasefire talks, with both sides maintaining hardline positions on nuclear negotiations
  • Institutional weakness in Peru's political system has created a cycle of leadership instability (9 presidents in 10 years) driven by voter distrust and weak party structures
  • Sub-Saharan Africa's maternal sepsis crisis is directly linked to inadequate sanitation infrastructure, with cost-effective solutions available at minimal investment ($1 per capita)
  • Global energy markets face disruption risk from potential Iran-US military confrontation, with oil prices already exceeding $100 per barrel
Trends
Anti-incumbent populism and outsider political movements gaining traction in democracies facing institutional crisesGeopolitical realignment in Eastern Europe as EU-aligned leaders replace Russia-friendly administrationsEscalating US-Iran tensions despite diplomatic engagement, signaling potential for unintended military confrontationGrowing focus on healthcare infrastructure and sanitation as critical development priorities in sub-Saharan AfricaVoter disenfranchisement and election administration failures becoming systemic issues in emerging democraciesEnergy security concerns driving commodity price volatility amid Middle East tensionsRenewed interest in postcolonial narratives and historical context in European cinema and cultural discourse
Companies
BBC World Service
Broadcaster producing and distributing the Global News Podcast episode
WaterAid
Charity organization cited for research on maternal sepsis and sanitation infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa
BBC Sounds
Platform hosting the Global News Podcast and related content
People
Péter Magyar
Won landslide election victory, defeating Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power
Viktor Orbán
Conceded election defeat after 16 years in power, known for Putin and Trump alignment
Uncle Desai
Presenter of the Global News Podcast episode
Nick Thorpe
Filed report from Budapest on Hungarian election celebrations and Orbán's concession
Steve Rosenberg
Analyzed implications of Orbán's defeat for Putin and Russia's European influence
András Báka
Discussed constitutional reform requirements and challenges for Magyar's government
Listo Set
Filed report from Islamabad on US-Iran talks and Strait of Hormuz blockade tensions
Qashay Jenedi
Analyzed Iran's military capabilities and leverage regarding Strait of Hormuz confrontation
Luis Fajardo
Explained Peru's election administration failures and political instability patterns
Anita Nkongay
Reported from Zambia on maternal sepsis crisis linked to sanitation infrastructure gaps
Yangko Mataya
Discussed cost-effective solutions for reducing maternal sepsis through sanitation investment
François Ozon
Discussed new film adaptation of Camus's 'The Stranger' and colonial context in France-Algeria relations
Rory McIlroy
Won Masters Tournament for second consecutive year, joining elite group of back-to-back champions
James Gregg
Reported from Augusta on Rory McIlroy's historic Masters championship victory
Kirsten Starmer
Called Hungarian election result a historic moment for European democracy
Emmanuel Macron
Congratulated Péter Magyar on election victory
Ursula von der Leyen
Congratulated Péter Magyar on behalf of the European Union
Quotes
"We did it. The Tizia and Hungary have won this election, not by a little but by a lot. In fact, by an awful lot. Together we brought down the Orban regime. Together we liberated Hungary. We took back our homeland."
Péter MagyarEarly in episode
"For years Viktor Orban was a super strong card in Vladimir Putin's hand. So a Trump card if you like. This pro-Moscow, pro-Putin leader of an EU country, of a NATO member state who opposed further sanctions against Russia."
Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia EditorMid-episode
"After I gave birth, I was still bleeding. I needed a bath but was forced to collect water which was dirty. I used it to bathe and drink it. It wasn't good for my body."
Precious Jemima, Zambian motherLater in episode
"Investing in water sanitation and hygiene is a cost-efficient way of tackling the issue of sepsis and that in itself can translate into as much as 50% reduction in illness and death that's related to maternal sepsis."
Yangko Mataya, WaterAid Country DirectorLater in episode
"I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam and then this year I realised it's just really difficult to win the Masters."
Rory McIlroyEnd of episode
Full Transcript
BBC Sounds, Music Radio Podcasts. This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Uncle Desai and in the early hours of Monday the 13th of April, these are our main stories. Peter Meijer wins a landslide election victory in Hungary. Unseating Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power. Iran reacts defiantly to President Trump's announcement that the US military will blockade all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. And Peru says it will reopen some polls after tens of thousands of people were unable to vote in the country's presidential election. Also in this podcast. I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam and then this year I realised it's just really difficult to win the Masters. Cory McAruy makes golfing history at the Masters becoming only the fourth play ever to win golf's biggest tournament twice in a row. European Union's longest serving leader has conceded power and there is now a new Prime Minister in charge of Hungary. Peter Meijer has been greeted like a rock star in the Hungarian capital after the party of the opposition leader won a landslide election victory. And Herald's sweeping change in Hungary after 16 years under Viktor Orban with ramifications across Europe. The outgoing PM is a friend of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump and had often been a thorn in the side of Brussels, repeatedly blocking funding for Ukraine which he accused of trying to force his country into war with Russia. But now Mr Meijer, a former Orban ally who became his fiercest critic has started a new era with his Tizia party. He told a huge crowd in Budapest that the country had been liberated from the Orban regime. We did it. The Tizia and Hungary have won this election, not by a little but by a lot. In fact, by an awful lot. Together we brought down the Orban regime. Together we liberated Hungary. We took back our homeland. Thank you. Thank you all. The congratulations from other EU leaders have been effusive. Britain's Prime Minister Kirsten Stammer has called it a historic moment for European democracy. A correspondent Nick Thorpe sent this report from Budapest. As the news broke that the Orban era was over, the Hungarian capital erupted in a sea of celebrations. The people laughed and shouted and sang and danced in the streets. To the surprise of many here, Viktor Orban conceded swiftly, almost gracefully. The result of the election is painful for us, but unambiguous, he told his shocked supporters. The possibility and responsibility of governing was not granted to us. I have congratulated the winning party. Reaction in the huge crowd lining the shores of the Danube opposite the parliament was instantaneous. Young people who were toddlers 16 years ago could hardly believe that Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party could be defeated. I have been waiting against the Fidesz parliament for forever, so I'm really happy that there is finally one person who is strong enough to actually challenge him for this well. I hope it means we are getting closer to Europe and I don't know, it means more democracy, just more freedom for people. Hungary is European, Hungary is part of the West and not the East. I believe that those are the countries we should make an established and nourish our alliances with. Peter Magyar fielded phone calls from some prominent European leaders, among them President Macron of France, Kirsten Stammer from the UK and Ursula von der Leyen on behalf of the European Union. Then he came on stage. The Tissa party and Hungary won this election, he told the cheering crowd, not a small victory, a huge enormous victory. Together we toppled the Orban regime, together we liberated Hungary, we took back our homeland. Before the election I asked András Báka, former president of the Supreme Court, what a Tissa victory would mean for Hungary and how difficult the task facing a government led by Peter Magyar would be. Hungary definitely needs a new constitution and it takes time to formulate but it's not impossible I think. But requires to such majority, requires serious judicial work and taking into account the law of the European Union which is obligatory to Hungary too. So we have to change the system. And changing the system is exactly what the Hungarian people gave Peter Magyar a mandate to do by electing him with a two thirds majority on Sunday. After the celebrations an immense task faces Peter Magyar as prime minister. On Sunday night he held out an olive branch to Fidesz voters, inviting them to work together to rebuild the country. All those who've stolen the national wealth however he warned will have to face justice. Nick Thorne with that report from Budapest. So how would the election result affect Hungary's relations with the Russian president Vladimir Putin, a close ally of Viktor Orban. Here's our Russia editor Steve Rosenberg. This is clearly very bad news for Vladimir Putin. To explain why let me use the kind of language that Donald Trump uses about cards, who's got the cards, who doesn't have the cards. For years Viktor Orban was a super strong card in Vladimir Putin's hand. So a Trump card if you like. This pro-Moscow, pro-Putin leader of an EU country, of a NATO member state who opposed further sanctions against Russia, who opposed the idea of further assistance for Ukraine, who opposed the idea of Ukraine's accession to the European Union. This is why he was so useful for Russia. And I think the Kremlin saw him as a destabilising force inside the European Union. Having said that, I'm sure we'll see attempts by the Kremlin to try to reach out to the new administration in Budapest. Also, I think the Kremlin probably reckons it has a few other cards to play regarding Hungary. The country over the last few years has become heavily dependent on Russian energy. That isn't going to change overnight. Neither will the Russian authorities' attempts to destabilise the situation, I think, inside the European Union. Although from what Russian commentators have been predicting in recent weeks, if the economic situation in Europe gets worse, if the energy situation in Europe gets worse, then destabilisation could be unavoidable. I've already read some comments on pro-Kremlin websites suggesting that Ukraine will get more assistance from the EU. Hungary, under Viktor Orban, had been opposing tens of billions of dollars of additional aid for Ukraine, so that might now go through. And as I say, these pro-Kremlin commentators were suggesting that the war will continue. Steve Rosenberg in Moscow. Next to the Middle East, Iran has reacted defiantly to President Trump's announcement that the US military will blockade all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports in the vital shipping route the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagir Ghalibov, has said Tehran will not submit to any threat. This comes after US and Iranian officials met in Pakistan for high-level talks at the weekend but were unable to reach any agreement. The US military says the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will begin on Monday afternoon. Our chief international correspondent, Listo Set, filed this report from Islamabad. The big question is what next? And most urgently, what next for this 12-day ceasefire now entering its seventh day? And it still doesn't include Lebanon, even though the Iranians had insisted they wouldn't enter into talks until it did. And now that effectively there are two blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian and the American, this increases the risk that one side or the other will open fire accidentally or deliberately, which could then spark a dangerous spiral. Is there any prospect of a return to talks? Well, both President Trump and Iranian officials are saying they would be ready to return to the negotiating table. And we still really don't have all the details about what happened in that marathon session behind closed doors. But what seems to have happened is that there was some progress. But what is really clear now is that both sides have very big red lines when it comes to Iran's nuclear program, and that neither side will be able or willing to move quickly, easily or at all, which means that for the moment it may be escalation rather than negotiation. Listo Set, with that report from Islamabad. Well, Iran has said that any attempt by a military vessel to approach the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the two-week ceasefire and dealt with severely. But what does that actually mean? That's a question for our correspondent Qashay Jenedi from BBC Persian. This means that as Listo just mentioned, accidentally or deliberately, there is a high chance of a military confrontation again before the ceasefire ends between Iran and the US. The US is actually using this blockade as a pressure tactic, and Iran knows this. And Iran is also gesturing, warning the Americans that it will confront any US military vessel trying to pass the Strait of Hormuz. Of course, the Americans have battered Iran's military presence at the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, both in the sea and on the land. So it will become difficult for the Iranians to try to confront this. But let's not forget Iran is talking about mines that it has lost in the Strait of Hormuz area. This warning, of course, was for merchant vessels, but this kind of warning could also be serious for American naval vessels. There is a high chance of confrontation before the ceasefire ends. Okay, just briefly then. What other moves could there be up Iran's sleeve? Does it have the leverage against the US to do anything else? And who holds the cards at the moment? Well, actually, so far Iran's biggest weapon against the Americans has been the Strait of Hormuz. And Iran is hoping that by adding up the confrontation at the Strait of Hormuz, without entering a military confrontation, it would increase the pressure economically under Americans. Muhammad Qubbaq al-Ghalib of Iran's parliament speaker, who was heading the Iranian delegation to Pakistan, just put on the Twitter on X, media talking towards American people saying, enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called blockade, soon you'll be nostalgic for four to five dollar gas prices. And already gas prices have again exceeded a hundred dollars a barrel. Still to come in this podcast. After I gave birth, I was still bleeding. I needed a bath, but was forced to collect water, which was dirty. I used it to bathe and drink it. It wasn't good for my body. The fight to improve basic sanitation and save mothers lives in Zambia. This is the Global News Podcast. Peru's election authority says it will be reopening some polls after tens of thousands of people were unable to vote in Sunday's presidential election. Widespread distrust in the country's institutions has put issues like corruption, political instability and rising crime front and center in the campaign. I asked BBC monitoring's Luis Fajardo why so many Peruvians were unable to cast their ballots. The Peruvian media are having a lot of reports on this, on how apparently many polling booths did not open on time on Sunday morning. Apparently because of logistical issues, many in many cases election material did not arrive to many voting places, particularly in Lima in the capital. And authorities are acknowledging that tens of thousands of people may have had problems with voting. That is why they initially said that voting was going to be extended for an hour on Sunday. There was an additional hour of voting and now they have said that some voting pools will also be open on Monday for this purpose. And are we getting any indication about the early exit polls and telling us about who's likely to win? There are plenty of candidates to choose from after all. There are 35 candidates to be precise and exit polls are showing what people had predicted that no candidate was likely to obtain the majority that they needed to win the election outright. So it is going to be very, very likely a second vote, a runoff vote to be held in June. Peruvians had nine presidents over the last 10 years. Why have there been so many changes in leadership? I mean, earlier we were talking in the program about Hungary. Someone was ruling there for 16 years. So why has it been so different in a country like Peru, for example? There's many explanations that have been offered for this. Part of it has to do with the extreme skepticism that people have towards the system, the political system, and the continuous search for outsiders, people looking for complete outsiders from very, very different sectors of society that have promised change and have not really delivered in many cases. There's also weak political parties in which many cases presidents are elected but have very little representation in Congress. Therefore, the governance of the country becomes very difficult. This in the context of a lot of political instability in Peru. People were expecting a change this time. At this moment, there's still a lot of uncertainty over the result of the election and the impact this can have on political aspects in Peru. BBC Monitoring's Luis Fajardo. Mothers in sub-Saharan Africa are around 150 times more likely to die from maternal sepsis than those in Europe or North America. That's according to the charity WaterAid. Many of the causes for these deaths are linked to a lack of proper sanitation in healthcare facilities. Zambia has one of the highest number of births without basic sanitation in the world, which affects both mothers and newborns. As the BBC's Anita Nkongay has been finding out. Isabel is just 23 years old. She's sitting hunched over in a stool outside the house she shares with her grandmother, her face gaunt and grief-stricken. She's living through her mother's worst nightmare. Her first baby survived less than 48 hours. I just saw the condition of the child change. He developed a high temperature. He stopped breastfeeding. We took him to health facilities, but he later died. Isabel's newborn was showing signs of sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection that causes the body to attack its own organs. The doctors told her that his death was caused by exposure from a local clinic that lacked basic sanitation. Here in Zambia, according to WaterAid, 98.8% of local healthcare facilities lack basic sanitation facilities to be used on patients before and after childbirth. Here in Mazabuka, a local clinic am in, the showers and the toilets don't work. In fact, the shower is being used as storage. Clean, safe water is vital in pregnancy and childbirth, as Rachel Modenda, a midwife, explains. The mother has to wash hands. The mother has to bath after delivery. If that is not done properly, it means that the infection will set in. According to government policy, we are supposed to observe mothers for 48 hours after delivery because we have inadequate running water. So we observe them for six hours and we discharge them. In the town of Monze, an hours drive away, mothers here said they would draw water from a dirty dam when they didn't have access to clean water, a 32-year-old precious Jemima tells us. After I gave birth, I was still bleeding. I needed a bath but was forced to collect water which was dirty. I used it to bathe and drink it. It wasn't good for my body. In its recent report, WaterAid said Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of cases with one in nine women experiencing maternal sepsis. According to the report, the solutions are clear, affordable, and proven. Yangko Mataya, WaterAid's country director in Zambia, explained more. Our recent report confirms that investing in water sanitation and hygiene is a cost-efficient way of tackling the issue of sepsis and that in itself can translate into as much as 50% reduction in illness and death that's related to maternal sepsis. We can see from our study that as little as one dollar per capita can translate into the change that we want to see and that one dollar is three times much more cheaper than actually treating the sepsis. The BBC reached out to Zambia's Ministry of Health but they have yet to respond. It did recently say on social media that it was launching a nationwide initiative to expand access to water, sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities aiming to tackle associated infections. But those words will be little comfort to Isabel who is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her baby. Anita Ngonghe reporting from Zambia. The 20th century Nobel Prize winning French writer and philosopher Albert Camus was known for books described as existentialist. They explored what meaning there might be in human existence in a world without guiding religious or political principles. His 1942 nouveau l'étranger often translated as the outsider or the stranger was no exception. The book centers on an emotionally detached man named Merceau, a French settler in Algeria who kills a man who Camus simply calls the Arab. Merceau then goes on trial for the murder with the book following this legal process and dissecting Merceau's thoughts throughout his detention. Julian Warwick asked the film's director Francois Orzon why he felt the need to make a new film version of the book. I was quite shocked when I read the book to realize how the Arab community was invisibilized and it was quite shocking for readers of today. So that's why I needed to understand the context of the writing of the book and to understand better the history between France and Algeria because it's still a kind of taboo in France today. I'm interested that you mentioned that aspect of it because in the original book there is a character known simply as the Arab and you have given that character a name. It was a political choice because today the invisibilization can be misunderstood by the audience of today and of course Camus was not racist but he was at a period of colonialism and I needed to show that two communities lived in parallel. The Arab on one side and the French on the other side and it was a kind of apartheid. So if you if you don't know this context you can't understand where leads the sense of the book and the folks of Camus. A word about the reception from the audience. We are living now in quite troubled divisive times. What do you want people who see this film to take away from it? I don't have a goal you know. I want you to live a kind of experience during the film and I don't have all the answers. I think the film is full of the questions which are in the book too with all the wars in Russia, in Ukraine, in America. All these elements are so disturbing and how do we react in front of that? It's interesting to plunge in the folks of Camus to try to understand better how to be a human today. French film director François Ouzon. Let's finish off from the beautiful greens of the Augusta National Golf Course where Rory McRoy won the prestigious Masters Tournament for a second consecutive year in Georgia in the United States. He waited for many years to get his hands on the famous green jacket and a year later the Northern Irishman has gone back to back to become only the fourth player to successfully defend the Masters title. Here he is speaking at the Champions Press Conference. I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam and then this year I realised it's just really difficult to win the Masters. A sports correspondent James Gregg was right there on the 17th green nearby watching all the drama and history unfold at Augusta. Last year he joined the greats by completing the career Grand Slam and this time he's made even more history as you mentioned as well joining Nick Fowdo, the great Tiger Woods and the legendary Jack Nicklaus as well to successfully defend back to back awesome achievement. Yes it is and really nice moment just a few moments ago as you talked to me. McRoy was walking out of the butler cabin the wood paneled room that they present the green jacket in before they then walk out the Masters champion to give a more kind of open speech to some of the patrons and some of the other Augusta members etc sort of in the sunshine it's just three people. Nick Fowdo then welcomed him out of the butler cabin and really genuinely warmly congratulated him and of course with that as well going back to back and joining Nick Fowdo in doing that he also joins Fowdo on six major championships so McRoy definitely has moved his career into a different stratosphere. He revealed that his menu for being the defending Masters champion will be a bit of local Georgia cuisine mixed in by some of his Irish heritage, Northern Irish heritage. I wonder what he's going to do next you know he's going to get his thinking cap on. He probably does doesn't he? And we talked about that earlier on in the week saying you know he started the week with an incredible meal if you've not seen the menu for that definitely give it a google. I'll give you a give you a kick Rondam bacon wrap dates grilled elk sliders rock shrimp tempura and peach and ricotta flatbread that's just the starters. I mean my mouth is watering it's incredible. Look he's going to have to think about that and these are all the privileges that come with being a Masters champion you know he will be at that champions dinner with all the greats and just this brilliant privilege that comes with it and that was already secured for life anyway with what he achieved last year but I think he just probably holds a little bit more weight in the room now he's a multiple Masters champion. Also back home in Northern Ireland as well in Hollywood where he grew up and lovely pictures of the golf club there where he began his career as a young boy and all the support he still has there and and those celebrations will continue long into the night too. Oh absolutely look his father Jerry who is a real character you know I know him loosely just from watching McElroy down the years he gave everything to McElroy you know along with his mother Rosie and you know he was a bartender was Jerry McElroy at Hollywood Golf Club in Northern Ireland I'm sure that all the members there have their own tales of Rory and he's just added another little slice of something hasn't he to that slice of golfing terrain up there in Northern Ireland fantastic. James Greg in Augusta and for more on the Masters there's a special All About podcast on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcast from. And that's all from us for now if you want to get in touch you can email us at globalpodcastatbbc.co.uk you can also find us on x at BBC World Service use the hashtag globalnewspod and don't forget our sister podcast the global story which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on one big story. This edition of the global news podcast was mixed by Darcy O'Bree and produced by Helena Burke the editor is Karen Martin and I'm Uncle Desai until next time goodbye