Viktor Orbán’s defeat in the election on 12 April was greeted with great enthusiasm in Hungary.
The country is now facing the second regime change since the fall of communism in 1989/90.
Election winner Peter Magyar says the task now is to “demolish the Orbán system” and make Hungary a “normal, respected country” in Europe again.
How does he intend to do this? What will be his first step? And will he succeed in proving wrong those who say that there is no difference between him and Fidesz on certain issues?
Where does Peter Magyar stand politically?
Magyars describe themselves as conservative and right-wing. He refuses to call himself a “liberal conservative” but distances himself from the term “patriot” in the sense used by his predecessor Viktor Orbán.
He is pro-European in his outlook and is opposed to both too much EU influence on national policy and the “Soviet phenomenon” championed by Orbán.
His talking style is often very controversial and he often puts things in a provocative manner. Still, that is a far cry from Orbán’s brand of populism.
What will the Magyars do with their two-thirds majority?
Magyar is promising to restore the system of checks and balances and make Hungary once again a democratic state governed by the rule of law.
He wants to get a new constitution passed. Hungary’s current constitution is to some extent a set of propagandistic articles and provisions designed to secure the power of the Orbán system.
Their intention is that the new constitution will include mechanisms that will restrict power, for example limiting the term of service of a Prime Minister to two.
Magyar wants to reform the country’s electoral law, which was designed to meet the needs of Orbán’s Fidesz party to reverse excessive state centralization and restore the autonomy of universities.
Although there are no concrete plans yet for judicial reform, he wants the judiciary to be able to work more independently.
He also intends to give up some powers as Prime Minister, for example control of intelligence services, which will be returned to the Ministry of the Interior.
How does Magyar intend to tackle widespread corruption?
Once in government, Magyar wants to establish an anti-corruption authority and an authority for asset restitution. The latter will be tasked with investigating all previous public tenders whose value exceeded the equivalent of €25 million.
He says Hungary will also join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and wants the country’s attorney general to be able to work more independently.
Overall, Magyar is promising to get tough on corruption and investigate cases from the last 16 years that Orbán was in power.
What kind of relationship will the Magyar government have with the EU?
Magyar sees Hungary as clearly established in Europe and promises that the country will once again be a reliable partner for the EU and NATO.
However, he also says there will be a “debate about national interests”.
Still, he says Hungary will not “fight” Brussels but will be a “constructive partner.”
Magyar also plans to admit Hungary into the eurozone, although no date has been set yet.
Where do the Magyars stand on migration?
While in government, Tisza intends to continue Orbán’s strict anti-migration policy and maintain border fortifications in the south of the country.
However, Magyar is calling for a pan-European solution and pledging not to use the migration issue for anti-EU propaganda or abuse it at the national level.
So far he has not made any concrete proposals regarding EU migration policy.
He is also promising to stop the recruitment of workers from non-EU countries into Hungary. However, given the labor shortage in the country, this may prove problematic.
What is Magyar’s stance on Ukraine?
Due to Orbán’s extreme anti-Ukrainian propaganda and allegations that Tisza is a Ukrainian project, Magyars have taken a cautious stance towards Ukraine.
He is calling for normalization of relations with Hungary’s northeastern neighbor, but is not in favor of Ukraine’s rapid integration into the EU.
Like Orbán, Magyar rejected Hungary’s participation in the EU’s €90 billion loan package for Ukraine, but condemned Orbán’s veto of the package after Hungary negotiated an exemption for itself in December 2025. Still, Magyar has not yet said explicitly whether he would overturn Orbán’s veto.
He also opposes any peace plan for Ukraine in which Ukraine has no say.
Magyar has said that Ukraine’s sovereignty and international borders are inviolable and that in this war there should be clear names of the aggressor and the victim.
What is the attitude of the Magyars towards Russia?
Magyar has described the Orbán government as a “puppet of the Kremlin”.
In the run-up to the election, Tisza supporters were repeatedly asked to chant “Russians out!” Slogans were heard.
Magyar intends to take a tough stance on Russian influence in Hungary.
He says Hungary will heavily diversify its energy supply in the future but will not completely isolate itself from Russian energy.
He has also said that any contracts with Russia, including private contracts on the expansion of the Pak nuclear power plant, will be reviewed and amended if necessary.
Magyar has said that if President Putin called him, he would ask Putin to end the war in Ukraine, adding that Europe could normalize its relations with Moscow after the war ended.
What is Magyar’s stance on America under Trump?
Magyar sees the United States as an important partner with which Hungary should have a “good and close relationship”.
However, given Donald Trump’s apparent support for Orbán in the Hungarian election campaign, Magyar’s relations with the US president are likely to be initially frosty.
Magyar says that from his perspective and right now, he sees no reason to talk to Trump on the phone.
Nevertheless, he plans to invite the US president to celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 revolution in Budapest in October.
How important is Central Europe to the Magyars?
Within the EU, Magyar will strive for closer cooperation with the Central European states of Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Austria and sees expansion of cooperation within the Visegrad Group to desirable include Slovenia, Croatia and Romania.
He has said that Central Europe should be a strong force in the European Union. Magyar greatly values good relations with Poland, which is evidenced by his decision to make Warsaw his first official foreign visit as Prime Minister.
What will happen to Orban’s ‘VIP refugees’?
During Orbán’s tenure, several politicians from Central and Southeastern Europe were granted asylum in Hungary, including former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro.
Magyar has announced that he will extradite them to their home countries if they have not already left of their own free will.
This article was originally published in German.