Hungary’s Péter Magyar took his oath of office on Saturday, ushering in a new political era after 16 years of Viktor Orbán‘s authoritarian rule. Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party won a stunning victory last month over Orbán’s Fidesz, securing more votes and seats than any party in Hungary’s post-Communist history and gaining a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
In a speech to tens of thousands of supporters, Magyar stated, “Today, every freedom-loving person in the world wants to be a little Hungarian.“ He emphasised that ordinary people can defeat tyranny, receiving roaring applause.
As the new prime minister, Magyar plans to restore democratic institutions and address corruption while transforming Hungary’s role within the European Union, where Orbán had often disrupted key decisions, including those related to support for Ukraine.
On Saturday, Magyar, a 45-year-old lawyer and founder of the Tisza party in 2024, entered Hungary’s neo-Gothic parliament. Tisza now holds 141 of the 199 seats, while Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition has 52 seats, down from 135, and the far-right Mi Hazánk party holds six.
For the first time since 1990, Orbán did not take the oath of office with the other representatives around 11 a.m., as he announced on 25 April that he would abandon the parliament.
Magyar encouraged Hungarians to attend a “regime-change” celebration in Kossuth Square to mark his inauguration and the end of Orbán’s era. Attendees waved Hungarian and EU flags and wore Tisza T-shirts. In his speech, Magyar called for unity and pledged to heal social divisions caused by Orbán’s government, stating, “Hungary can believe in itself and once more be a common homeland for all Hungarians.”
The new National Assembly includes a record 54 women lawmakers, most from the Tisza party. Economist Andrea Szepesi noted that it was “about time“ for more women in parliament, highlighting that under Orbán, women’s representation had lagged behind that of many other EU nations. “Finally, women are able to participate in this new, beautiful democratic system,“ Szepesi said.
Hungary’s new Prime Minister has vowed to repair the country’s relationship with the European Union, which suffered during Orbán’s administration due to increasing ties with Russia. On Saturday, the EU flag was raised on the parliament building for the first time since 2014.
Magyar aims to unlock around €17 billion in EU funds that were frozen over rule-of-law and corruption issues, which are essential for revitalising Hungary’s stagnant economy.
Áron Farsang, a 27-year-old web designer at the celebration, expressed hope that the Tisza government would restore democracy and reduce Russian influence, especially regarding energy dependency.
Approximately 3.4 million Hungarians who voted for Tisza expect accountability from Fidesz officials for the outgoing administration’s misconduct. In his National Assembly speech, Magyar urged Fidesz-appointed heads of institutions, including President Tamás Sulyok, to resign by 31 May.
Magyar plans to create a National Asset Recovery and Protection Office to investigate and recover misused public funds from Orbán’s tenure. He also vowed to suspend Hungary’s public broadcaster until it can ensure objectivity.
He highlighted the need for accountability, stating that voters have given a mandate to “open a new chapter in Hungary’s history,“ and emphasised that true reconciliation requires justice and confronting the past.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
