End of the Orbán Era: Péter Magyar Takes Office, Vows Sweeping Reforms

The constitutional session of the new Hungarian Parliament on Saturday, May 9th, marked a seismic shift in the nation's political landscape with the swearing-in of Péter Magyar as Prime Minister. This event signals the definitive end of the Viktor Orbán era, a period characterized by what Magyar and his Tisza Party have labeled as systemic corruption and democratic backsliding.

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Mr. President, step down with your head held high, as long as it is still possible.

Magyar wasted no time in asserting his agenda, directly confronting State President Tamás Sulyok during his inaugural address. His public call for Sulyok's resignation, urging him to step down 'with his head held high,' underscores Magyar's commitment to holding individuals accountable who he believes enabled Orbán's administration. Magyar has repeatedly pledged to use his party's two-thirds parliamentary majority to remove top officials from state institutions, including the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, and State Audit Office, unless they resign voluntarily.

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Hungary has given us the mission to end the decades-long drift.

The new Prime Minister launched a scathing critique of the outgoing government, accusing it of large-scale embezzlement of state assets, which he claims has rendered Hungary the 'most corrupt country in the EU.' He highlighted the dire consequences of Orbán's policies, pointing to the poverty faced by hundreds of thousands of Hungarian pensioners and children, and the significantly shorter life expectancy compared to the EU average. Magyar also lamented the loss of over 20 billion Euros in EU funding due to Hungary's rule-of-law violations under Orbán's tenure.

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They have given us the mission to open a new chapter in Hungary's history, not just to change the government, but to change the system, to start from scratch.

Magyar outlined his government's core mission as 'coming to terms' with the alleged wrongdoings of the Orbán system. He pledged to establish an independent, transparent, and rigorous authority to investigate all legal transgressions, ensuring that no one who acted unlawfully escapes consequences. The symbolic act of reinstalling the EU flag at the Parliament building, a move championed by the new Parliament President Ágnes Forsthoffer, further signals Hungary's intended reorientation towards European integration and democratic norms, a stark contrast to the previous government's increasingly isolationist stance.

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Around 50 billion forints of public assets have been embezzled.