France, April 13 -- "I feel the freedom. I've never been so happy. Sixteen years of Orban was way too much," says Marcus, a man in his thirties who came with his girlfriend to the square that overlooks the Danube. "Change will be hard. But I am so relieved."

He is one of thousands of people who took to the streets on Sunday night to watch election results trickle in. When it became clear, around 10pm that Peter Magyar's Tisza party had won, likely with a two-thirds majority, the crowds exploded with joy.

Fireworks went off, as people embraced and danced on the square next to the parliament, amid chants of: "Russians Out, Russians Out" and "Hungaria - Hungaria!"

Budapest's yellow metro carriages were crammed with Tisza supporters, mostl...