Who Is Péter Magyar: The Man Who Toppled Orbán and Is Shifting the Balance in Europe

Péter Magyar, a 45-year-old lawyer and former insider of Orbán's system, is heading toward the post of Hungary's new prime minister. His party, Tisza, less than two years after its founding, is winning a constitutional majority according to preliminary results, ending Viktor Orbán's sixteen-year rule. Who is the man who achieved this, and what does his victory mean beyond Hungary's borders? HN online ↗



Magyar spent many years operating within Orbán's system. He was married to Judit Varga, a former minister of justice and one of the most prominent faces of Fidesz. It was precisely the divorce and subsequent break with the party that became a springboard into opposition politics. Magyar began speaking publicly about what he had seen from the inside — corruption, clientelism, and control over state institutions. This made him a unique critic of the system, because unlike previous opposition leaders, he could describe exactly how Orbán's state functions. Refresher.sk ↗

According to preliminary results, after counting more than half of the votes, Tisza is heading toward approximately 136 seats out of 199. The threshold for a constitutional majority is 133 seats. If this result is confirmed, Magyar will be able to change the constitution without the support of any other party — and thereby reverse the changes Orbán built into the constitution over his years in power. These include an electoral system tailored in Fidesz's favor, laws restricting media independence, the staffing of the constitutional court and regulatory bodies with loyal people, and legislative safeguards making it harder for future governments to change course. iDNES.cz ↗

For the European Union, Magyar's victory is a potential breakthrough. Orbán's Hungary spent years blocking joint sanctions against Russia, accession talks with Ukraine, and solidarity in migration policy. Brussels froze approximately 20 billion euros in funds to Hungary over rule-of-law violations. Magyar promises a return to cooperation with the EU and the unlocking of these funds — which would mean a significant boost for the Hungarian economy. Forum24.cz ↗

Just before the elections, events were accelerated by the Szijjártó-Lavrov affair — investigative journalists published recordings in which the Hungarian foreign minister informed the Russian minister about the course of sanctions debates within the EU. The French foreign minister called it a betrayal of solidarity, and Czechia announced it would reassess its relations with Hungary. HotInfo ↗

For Slovakia, the result has a direct impact. Prime Minister Robert Fico is losing in Orbán a key ally in pushing a more skeptical stance toward military aid to Ukraine and against the EU's sanctions policy. Andrej Babiš, who publicly supported Orbán the day before the election, is likewise losing a partner. Some analysts speak of a possible domino effect — in their view, Orbán's defeat weakens the position of leaders who built their foreign policy on an alliance with Budapest. Startitup.sk ↗

In his victory speech, Magyar promised to fight corruption, reform the judiciary, and ensure that Hungary will look to the United States and the European Union as key partners. The question that remains is how quickly he can change the direction of a country in which Orbán, over sixteen years, systematically built parallel power structures.