Budapest witnessed a transition of power on Saturday as Peter Magyar was officially sworn in as Hungary’s new Prime Minister, following the 16-year tenure of Viktor Orban.
Magyar’s Tisza party achieved a monumental victory in last month’s elections, securing a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
Following the inauguration, the 45-year-old lawyer addressed tens of thousands of supporters gathered outside the neo-Gothic parliament.
Emphasizing a return to democratic norms, Magyar declared, “Today, every freedom-loving person in the world would like to be Hungarian a little. You have taught the country and the world that it is the most ordinary, flesh-and-blood people that can defeat the most vicious tyranny.”
The new Prime Minister has committed to a sweeping restoration of governmental checks and balances and a robust campaign against institutional corruption. His platform focuses on healing a divided nation and re-establishing Hungary’s status as a “common homeland for all Hungarians.”
The rise of the Tisza party is expected to ripple across the European Union. While Orbán frequently utilized his veto to block key initiatives, including aid for Ukraine, Magyar intends to repair fractured ties with Brussels. Symbolizing this shift, the EU flag was hoisted onto the parliament facade Saturday afternoon, a decade after its removal by the previous government.
A primary objective for the new administration is the release of approximately 17 billion euros in frozen EU funds. These assets were previously withheld due to rule-of-law concerns and are viewed as essential for revitalizing the nation’s stagnant economy.
The new National Assembly, which features a record 54 women lawmakers, reflects a changing political landscape. In his first legislative address, Magyar signaled that the era of impunity for former officials was over, stating, “Voters had given us a mandate to open a new chapter in Hungary’s history.”
To fulfill this mandate, Magyar has demanded the resignations of several Fidesz-appointed officials, including President Tamás Sulyok, by the end of May. His government plans to establish a National Asset Recovery and Protection Office to investigate the alleged misuse of public funds. Additionally, the new prime minister announced a suspension of the public broadcaster’s news services until editorial objectivity can be restored.
For the first time since 1990, Orbán was absent from the swearing-in of a new parliament, as his Fidesz-KDNP coalition saw its representation plummet from 135 to just 52 seats.
Orban announced in late April that he will not take up his seat in parliament following his party’s defeat, but intends to remain leader of Fidesz and oversee a process of “renewal”.
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