STORY: "I was smiling on a tram, I was smiling to everyone. And we did it, yes, we did. We did it, so it was totally different. It's never happened before."
Hungarian business owner Viktor Halas was all smiles on his way to work on Monday (April 13), elated by opposition leader Peter Magyar's victory in his country's elections.
Magyar's landslide win on Sunday (April 12) ended the 16-year rule of right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban...
who has faced international criticism over issues including democratic standards, media freedom and LGBTQ rights.
"Yesterday was a big impact in our history, I could say. Because there was a very bad part of the Hungarian history where thieves had taken the power and yesterday it's gone. We are very proud because we have reached this with democratical values without any kind of violence."
Critics of nationalist Orban say his term saw economic stagnation, international isolation and oligarchs amassing wealth.
But supporters say the veteran leader defended Hungary's sovereignty and traditional values.
Halas is optimistic about his country's economic future under the new government and is hoping to see the results soon in his own shop.
"In the last decade, the tourism was controlled by the government people, and we will see. We will see, I think the economy will rise, not just because of the tourism, because of the A standards, the corruption will go down, the accountability will rise. The news will be calmer. The money will be stronger."
"I think the economy will rise and sooner, as we think. Because lots of good people will come back and will start a company. And all of those companies which were bad for the economy, they were gone. They were gone because the owners will go to jail. I hope so, of course. That's the promise of yesterday evening by the new prime minister."
