New Delhi, April 13 -- European leaders heaped praise on Peter Magyar after his stunning election victory in Hungary, not just for what the vibrant campaigner and the country's next premier might do but who he is not - long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who many saw as a direct threat to the continent's peace and prosperity.

The outpouring reflected a deep frustration with Orban across the 27-nation European Union and its institutions.

"Today Europe wins and European values win," said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a post on X on Sunday night. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk exclaimed on social media: "Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!"

Orban's 16-year grip on power has tested the EU system of governance ...