Péter Magyar will be sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister on Saturday, marking the end of Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule and ushering in a dramatic political shift in the country.Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party won last month’s parliamentary elections by a margin that is unprecedented in Hungary’s post-Communist history, capturing more votes and seats than any opposition movement has ever managed, according to an AFP analyst. The result leaves Magyar with a commanding mandate and Orbán, once considered politically untouchable, heading into retirement.Thousands are expected to fill the square outside Budapest’s neo-Gothic parliament building as Magyar takes his oath of office inside. The incoming prime minister has dubbed the occasion a “regime-change celebration” and welcomed all Hungarians at Kossuth Square through a post on X.Corruption crackdown at the top of the agendaMagyar, 45, is a lawyer who spent years as an Orbán insider before founding the Tisza party in 2024 and mounting an increasingly credible challenge to the government he once served. He has made dismantling official corruption the centerpiece of his platform, arguing that a network of allies and relatives enriched themselves at public expense during the Orbán years.To that end, he plans to establish the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, a body tasked with investigating alleged misuse of state funds and pursuing the recovery of public money. He has also pledged to suspend Hungary’s state broadcaster, widely regarded as a Fidesz mouthpiece, until independent editorial standards can be restored.Economy and EU relations in focusRepairing Hungary’s relationship with the European Union will be among Magyar’s most pressing tasks. Brussels froze approximately 17 billion euros, around $20 billion, in funds earmarked for Hungary over corruption and rule-of-law concerns during the Orbán era. That money is seen as critical to reviving an economy that has largely stagnated for the past four years.Magyar has also vowed to rebuild ties with Western allies after Orbán’s government drifted toward Moscow, a posture that placed Hungary at odds with most of its EU and Nato partners. As a pointed symbol of the new direction, Magyar announced in a Facebook post that the European Union flag will be reinstated on the parliament building’s facade on Saturday, twelve years after Orbán’s government took it down.The view from outside HungaryThe result was welcomed warmly in Brussels and with considerably more ambivalence in Washington. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared on an For the Trump administration and the Kremlin alike, Orbán’s defeat was a significant setback as both had relied on him as their key ally inside the EU, with Russia depending on him to obstruct sanctions and arms support for Ukraine, and Washington viewing Budapest as a hub for right-wing nationalist politics in Europe. Magyar, for his part, has told CNN that he welcomes engagement with Washington but made clear that foreign state funding for political institutes tied to Fidesz will end under his watch.Orbán’s exitOrbán conceded defeat on election night, congratulating Magyar less than three hours after polls closed in a speech he described as painful but clear. Trump, who had thrown his full public backing behind Orbán and even sent vice president JD Vance to Budapest days before the vote, appeared eager to distance himself from the outcome afterward. Trump mused that Orbán “was a friend of mine” while adding “it wasn’t my election” when the Italian Corriere della Sera asked about the recent polls. Magyar is due to address the crowd outside parliament following the swearing-in ceremony, which is scheduled for around 3 pm local time. The event will include live performances and, according to the incoming prime minister, several surprise guests.
