Hungary has felt like two different worlds for months.
In one world, there was a prime minister who convinced his supporters and those watching pro-government television channels that they were on the right track to victory and another four years in power.
In the other world there was Péter Magyar, who was wandering through the cities and villages of Hungary, attracting large crowds wherever he went.
Respected pollsters were making it clear that support for Orbán was waning.
It has been running dry since Magyar left the ruling party and created a movement that attracted widespread support from both opposition parties and Orbán's disillusioned voters.
Suddenly, these two worlds collided and only one was real.
The reality is that the Orbán era is over, and it appears that Hungary may be on track to secure a two-thirds majority to reverse him.
Hungary's veteran nationalist leader Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after a landslide election victory by the new opposition Tisza party, in a setback for his allies in Russia and the White House of US President Donald Trump.
Results based on 46% of votes counted showed Peter Magyar's center-right, pro-EU Tisza party opening a narrow lead with 135 seats - or a decisive two-thirds majority - in the 199-member parliament, ahead of Orban's Fidesz party.
“The election results are not yet final, but the situation is understandable and clear,” Orban said at Fidesz’s campaign offices. “The election result is painful for us, but clear.”
Pollsters predicted a record voter turnout, with Hungarian television showing long queues outside some polling stations in Budapest. Data at 16:30 GMT, half an hour before polls closed, showed 77.8% of voters had cast their ballots, up from 67.8% four years ago.
If the final results confirm early readings, the end of Orban's tenure in government after 16 years in power would have significant implications not only for Hungary, but also for the European Union, Ukraine and beyond.
This would likely mark the end of Hungary's hostile role within the EU, perhaps paving the way for a 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan for war-torn Ukraine blocked by Orban.
Defeat for Orban could also mean the final release of EU funds for Hungary, which the bloc had suspended due to what Brussels called Orban's erosion of democratic standards.
Orban's departure would also deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of his key ally in the EU and cause upheaval in right-wing Western circles, including the White House.
In Hungary, a victory in Tisza could pave the way for reforms that the party says will aim to fight corruption and restore the independence of the judiciary and other institutions.
However, the extent of such reforms will depend on whether Tisza can secure the two-thirds constitutional majority he would need to overturn much of Orban's legacy.
