How Magyar De-Orbanised Hungary

September 12, 2026

Péter Magyar: Hungary's Democratic Hope or Orbán 2.0? | DW News

August 1, 2026 | Peter Magyar came to power promising to dismantle Viktor Orbán's authoritarian system and restore Hungary's democratic institutions. But just months into office, he's using sweeping constitutional powers, removing Orbán-era officials, and pushing through rapid reforms that some critics say look uncomfortably familiar.

So is Magyar doing what it takes to undo 15 years of democratic backsliding, or is Hungary witnessing the rise of a new strongman?

DW Correspondent Teri Schultz and Princeton professor Kim Lane Scheppele assess whether Brussels is starting to worry, why the EU is largely backing Magyar for now, and whether democracy can be rebuilt using the very powers that helped erode it.

Hungary Holds First Post-Orban Budapest Pride March

DW: Tens of thousands packed Budapest's streets despite scorching heat. Former right-wing leader Viktor Orban tried to ban the march last year as part of a wider LGBTQ+ crackdown.

Tens of thousands braved the scorching temperatures to celebrate the Budapest Pride parade on Saturday, the first since the election defeat of Viktor Orban, who tried to ban the event last year.

"I think the situation is getting better and better, mainly because of the change in government," 18-year-old Petra Toth, who was attending her first Pride with her girlfriend, told AFP.

In April, pro-EU conservative Prime Minister Peter Magyar and his Tisza party won a landslide victory, ending Orban's 16 years in power.

Orban's government was widely regarded as having some of the European Union's most restrictive LGBTQ+ policies. » | Emmy Sasipornkarn with AFP, AP, Reuters | Saturday, June 27, 2026

Hungarians turn out in thousands for first Pride march since Viktor Orbán was voted out: Far-right former prime minister had sought to outlaw event among other anti-LGBTQ+ policies »

Why Things Are Going Very Well for Péter Magyar

Jun 8, 2026 | Two months since the election, and things really couldn't be going any better for Péter Magyar. In this video, we're taking a look at Magyar's first eight weeks in government and explain why it's going so well.

FULL PRESSER: Macron Hosts Hungary’s PM Magyar as France and Hungary Launch New Partnership

Jun 3, 2026 | French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar to the Élysée Palace in Paris for talks focused on European security, Ukraine, economic cooperation, and democratic reforms. Macron praised Hungary's renewed commitment to European values, while Magyar pledged stronger ties with France, anti-corruption reforms, and deeper cooperation within the European Union.

Unfortunately, there are no subtitles in English, French, or German available. I am posting it anyway, because this is a significant development in Hungary-EU relations. — Mark

Can Hungary's New PM Magyar Remove the Orbán Loyalist President? | DW News

Jun 2, 2026 | Weeks after Viktor Orbán's 16-year grip on power ended in a bitter election defeat, Hungary is heading into a fresh constitutional standoff. New Prime Minister Péter Magyar wants to remove the president, whom he characterises as one of Orbán's loyalists, and has vowed to dismantle the entrenched, illiberal network of cronyism Orbán built, going as far as changing the constitution to do so. The president may yet find support from the Supreme Court. Analyst Kim Lane Scheppele joins to ask: is this the break with the past Hungarian voters hoped for - or a threat to the rule of law?

Orbán’s Oligarchs on Edge as Hungary Poised to Launch Wealth Tax

THE GUARDIAN: New PM Péter Magyar calls policy a sign of ‘social justice’ after years of political loyalty being rewarded with economic opportunity

This screenshot comes from this article. | Péter Magyar and his party, Tisza, have their sights firmly set on Viktor Orbán’s oligarchs. Photograph: Olivier Matthys/EPA
In a dimly lit television studio, one of Hungary’s richest men is on the verge of tears. It is early May, weeks after the general election that ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power, and the advertising mogul Balásy Gyula has an announcement to make.

Gyula tells the interviewer that he has just surrendered his businesses to the state, along with a chunk of his private savings. He has even brought along a notarised deed – a legal document setting out the change of ownership.

“In the current situation, I don’t think that our group of companies has a future,” he says.

Gyula was among the most prominent beneficiaries of the Orbán era. His companies operated a network of poster sites known as the blue billboards, on which a succession of figures from the financier George Soros to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, were designated as public enemies, in propaganda campaigns paid for by the state.

…

The wealth tax debate is a global one, with the government in Brazil and trade unions in California pushing for legislation. In the UK the Green party and many Labour MPs back the idea. In France the socialist president François Mitterrand introduced the Impôt sur les Grandes Fortunes in 1982, only for it to be repealed under Emmanuel Macron. Last year the French parliament came very close to reinstating the levy, and it is likely to be a big talking point in next year’s presidential election. For now, however, Hungary looks set to move first. » | Juliette Garside | Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Exclusive Interview with the Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar

May 21, 2026 | After the change of government in Hungary, the new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, visited Austria and gave an exclusive interview to ORF’s Eastern Europe correspondent, Paul Krisai, about his plans and the future of Hungary in Europe.

What a delightful and sensible political leader! Very likeable indeed. A breath of fresh air after the corrupt Orbán with his antediluvian and fossilized ideas and thinking!

Was für ein entzückender und vernünftiger Politiker! Wirklich sehr sympathisch. Eine Wohltat nach dem korrupten Orbán mit seinen veralteten und versteinerten Ideen und seinem Denken!

Quel dirigeant politique charmant et sensé ! Vraiment très sympathique. Un vrai bol d'air frais après le corrompu Orbán et ses idées archaïques et dépassées ! — © Mark Alexander

He Ended Orbán’s Grip on Power — Can Péter Magyar Change Hungary? | DW News

New Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has already pulled off a feat many thought impossible - toppling Viktor Orbán. Now comes the even harder task of unpicking the system built over Orbán’s illiberal 16-year rule.

Viktor Orbán has FLED Hungary for MAGA America

May 3, 2026 | What do you think of Viktor Orbán bailing on Hungary and fleeing to the US to escape likely conviction by the incoming Magyar governmnet?

Orbán, Trump, MAGA, and many other shysters are all of the same ilk. Birds of a feather and all that... They should all be in clink. — © Mark Alexander

EU’s Top Court Finds Hungary’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Law in Breach of Key Values

THE GUARDIAN: ECJ says law passed in 2021 is discriminatory and ‘contrary to the identity of the union’, in early test for new PM

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | A Pride parade in Budapest in July 2021, the year Hungary passed its so-called child protection law. Photograph: János Kummer/Getty Images
The EU’s highest court has found Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law to be discriminatory, stigmatising and in breach of basic democratic values, setting up an early test for the incoming government when it takes power next month.

In a wide-ranging judgment, the European court of justice said the 2021 law that bans content about LGBTQ+ people from schools and primetime TV was at odds with a society based on pluralism and fundamental rights, such as prohibition of discrimination and freedom of expression.

Péter Magyar won a landslide election victory last week after promising to root out corruption and improve living standards, but the incoming prime minister has been muted on whether he will roll back the anti-LGBTQ+ policies introduced by Viktor Orbán, who was defeated after 16 years in power.

He has vowed to “bring home” EU funds intended to help Hungary develop its economy, some of which were frozen over the anti-LGBTQ+ law. A larger part was suspended over risks to academic freedom, breaches of the right to asylum, and concerns about corruption and lack of judicial independence. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Hungary's Magyar Says He Would Carry Out ICC Warrant against Netanyahu

Péter Magyar enlarges on Hungary’s position.

Péter Magyar Has Just Given Young Hungarians Hope for the Future

That ghastly wannabee dictator Viktor Orbán has been finally kicked out of office. Adam Schoff explains.
Now the time has come for Americans to do the same with their wannabee dictator! — © Mark Alexander

Full Interview: Hillary Clinton on Hungary's Election, Trump's Social Media Posts

Apr 13, 2026 | Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joins Morning Joe for a wide-ranging interview on Hungary's election, the war in Iran and the president's social media posts.

Kick ALL the corrupt bastards OUT, wherever they are! — © Mark Alexander

Orbán’s Defeat Is a 'Victory for the West' | Sir Bill Browder

Apr 13, 2026 | “It's a very dangerous thing, politically, to be so pro-Putin and that's been borne out by yesterday's election in Hungary.”

The historic defeat of Viktor Orbán in yesterday’s Hungarian election shows that Vladimir Putin’s efforts to exert soft power in the West are proving unpopular domestically, says head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign Sir Bill Browder.

One Cool, Happy Dancing Politician with Rhythm in Hungary, …

… Zsolt Hegedus, shows us all just how HAPPY he is for his country to be rid of the uncool and fossilized Viktor Orbán!

How Hungary’s Election Result Could Change Europe | The Economist

Apr 13, 2026 | How could Hungary’s election result reshape Europe? Matt Steinglass, The Economist’s Europe editor and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss how Viktor Orban was ousted after 16 years in power, by Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition, and what the resounding result means for Hungary’s economy, democracy and its relationship with Vladimir Putin and the EU.

Did JD Vance Accidentally Help Defeat Orbán?

Apr 13, 2026 | Hungary has woken up to a political earthquake. After more than a decade in power, Viktor Orbán has been defeated, with Péter Magyar securing a historic landslide victory in an election seen as a major test for democracy in Europe.

It’s a slap in the face for Donald Trump - after JD Vance called on Hungarians to support their incumbent leader. But did his attempt to raise support for Orbán do the exact opposite?

Could this mark a turning point not just for Hungary, but for Europe more broadly? And does this result signal a shift away from populist politics - or is the bigger story still to come?

In this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Hungarian journalist and disinformation expert Szilárd Teczár and political analyst Mujtaba Rahman to unpack how this happened - and what it means for the future of Hungary - and Europe.

Orban Loss in Hungary Is a Big Moment for the E.U. Here’s Why.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stymied the European Union for years, and particularly in recent months. Peter Magyar’s election could change that, if only so much.

Viktor Orban has long been a challenge and a frustration for the European Union, and his concession in Sunday’s Hungarian election was greeted by top E.U. leaders as a potential moment for sea change after years of clashes between Brussels and Budapest.

“Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, posted on social media as the votes came in.

Mr. Orban has often stood in the way of critical policy goals for the European Union, including blocking a loan to Ukraine and sanctions packages targeting Russia. His administration has long been viewed as a security risk at sensitive meetings because of its comparatively cozy ties to the Kremlin. With the victory of Hungary’s opposition party, led by Peter Magyar, that could begin to change.

Mr. Magyar and his Tisza party have struck a friendlier tone toward the European Union and NATO alike. As voting was underway, he pointed out that it was taking place on the anniversary of a 2003 vote in favor of Hungary joining the European Union — a potential signal that he wanted to break with Mr. Orban’s animosity toward Brussels.

Most immediately, the new leadership is widely expected to clear the path for a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine that has been frozen for weeks because of Mr. Orban’s objections.

“The election result is a game changer for Europe,” said Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy. » | Jeanna Smialek | Reporting from Brussels | Monday, April 13, 2026

NYT: What Orban’s Defeat Means for the Rest of the World »

Viktor Orbán Has Lost an Election. Vladimir Putin Has Lost a Trump Card

Steve Rosenberg reporting from Moscow.