Result remains after recount: Gergely Karácsony wins Budapest mayoral election by a 293 vote difference

After a recount of all valid votes cast for the mayoral candidates, Gergely Karácsony remains the winner of the election for mayor of Budapest, having received 293 votes more than his main challenger, Dávid Vitézy, the National Election Committee has officially announced.

Reaching the final decision on who will become the mayor of Budapest starting on 1 October took a little over a month, because after election day on 9 June, both candidates had filed various legal petitions and complaints pertaining to the election process.

Vitézy had conceded his defeat before the official announcement of the National Election Committee on Friday and wished Gergely Karácsony all the best in his work as mayor of the Hungarian capital.

"I have been saying this all along since election night: as soon as the election results are final and Gergely Karácsony is even one vote ahead of me, I will naturally consider him the winner of the election and the legitimate mayor of Budapest for the next term. This moment has just arrived," Dávid Vitézy began his Facebook post. He continued by saying that "the recount did not change the final result, Gergely Karácsony won the election, he is the next mayor of Budapest, and I congratulate him. The great opportunities and responsibilities of leading Budapest remain his, and I wish him well in his work."

Gergely Karácsony also reacted to the news. "... we won the first time, we won the second time and today we won the third time. There is nothing left to recount. And there is certainly one good thing about all of this, which is that I have the reason and the opportunity to once again say: Thank you, Budapest!" – he wrote on his social media page.

This will be Karácsony's second term as mayor of Budapest.