Hungary turns page as Viktor Orban loses power after 16 years to Peter Magyar
Budapest: Hungary’s long-serving prime minister, Viktor Orban, has conceded defeat in parliamentary elections after partial official results pointed to a decisive win for Peter Magyar and his Tisza party, signalling a major political shift after 16 years of Fidesz rule.
With 97.35 per cent of precincts counted, results reported by Al Jazeera showed Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party securing 138 seats in the 199-member parliament, representing 53.6 per cent of the vote. Orban’s nationalist Fidesz party trailed with 55 seats and 37.8 per cent, marking a sharp drop in support compared with previous elections.
Orban acknowledged the outcome soon after the early results emerged, effectively conceding as it became clear Fidesz would be unable to form a majority government. The result is widely regarded as one of the most significant electoral setbacks in Hungary’s recent history.
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Addressing thousands of supporters in central Budapest, Magyar declared victory and outlined plans to steer Hungary back towards closer alignment with Europe and its Western allies. He stressed that his government would seek to restore Hungary’s place within the European mainstream.
“Hungary will once again be a strong ally representing Hungarian interests, because our country’s place is in Europe,” he said, according to Euro News.
Magyar said his first official visits would be to Warsaw and Vienna, followed by Brussels, where he intends to negotiate the release of billions of euros in suspended European Union funding.
“We will bring home the EU funds that are due to the Hungarian people,” he said.
He also pledged sweeping institutional reforms, including joining the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which he argued would strengthen accountability and reinforce democratic safeguards.
“We will restore the system of checks and balances. We will join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. We guarantee the democratic functioning of our country,” he added.
Magyar further called on President Tamas Sulyok and other senior officials appointed under Orban to resign, accusing them of political bias and urging immediate institutional change.
“I call on the President of the Republic to immediately ask the winner to form a government and then leave office. I call on all the puppets who have been in power for the past 16 years to do the same,” he said.
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He specifically urged the heads of key institutions—including the judiciary, audit office, competition authority and media regulator—to step down without delay.
“Let them leave, leave. Don’t wait until we send them away,” he added.
Magyar also appealed for a smooth transition of power, warning against any attempts to curtail the authority of the incoming government. “If a serious decision or question arises regarding our nation during the hopefully short period of transition, please feel free to call me—you know my phone number,” he said.