Attention is focused on Peter Magyar, leader of the TISZA party, who toppled the 16-year-long "Orban system" as the ruling party led by Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban lost the general election.
According to the National Election Committee of Hungary on the 12th (local time), in this general election TISZA won a landslide, taking 138 of the total 199 seats with 98.13% of the votes counted. By contrast, Orban's Fidesz secured only 55 seats, handing over power for the first time in 16 years.
At a celebration held on the banks of the Danube that day, Magyar told supporters, "Today we worked a miracle. Hungary made history," and added, "The Hungarian people asked not 'What can the country do for us?' but 'What can we do for the country?'."
Orban, meanwhile, conceded defeat in a brief speech. Orban said, "The election result is clear," and added, "We were not given the responsibility and opportunity of the prime minister. Fidesz will now focus on rebuilding local communities."
Magyar, 45, is a member of the European Parliament who entered politics by joining a local branch of Fidesz before founding TISZA. He earned a law degree from Pazmany Peter Catholic University and worked as an attorney in international law before entering politics. He spent more than 20 years with Fidesz, serving as a diplomat in Brussels, Belgium, and in senior posts at government agencies, but he was not widely known at the time.
Magyar is seen as having reached a political turning point in 2024 amid controversy over the concealment and pardon of a state-run daycare center official convicted as a child sex offender. In 2023, then-President Katalin Novak of Hungary pardoned a total of 25 people ahead of Pope Francis's visit; a deputy director of a daycare center, convicted for attempting to cover up a child sex crime, was also on the list, sparking public outrage, and the president ultimately resigned.
At that time, Magyar harshly criticized the government, left his party, and took over TISZA to build a new force and secure a support base. In last year's European Parliament election, he won 30% of the vote, quickly emerging as a major political figure and being cited as a leading contender to bring about a change of government.
In particular, the overwhelming victory in this general election is seen as the eruption of discontent that had built up across Hungarian society. Since returning to power in 2010, Orban has faced criticism for consolidating power through constitutional amendments, redistricting, and media control; in fact, about 70% of all media were tied to the government or the ruling camp, and key institutions such as the judiciary, the Constitutional Court, and the prosecutor's office were reportedly dominated by pro-government figures.
During this process, a prolonged economic slump and emerging corruption scandals intensified calls for a change of government, analysts say. Notably, the Orban administration, the only one in the EU to repeatedly block sanctions on Russia and to secure cheap Russian energy, has claimed the role of a "pro-Russia bridgehead," while the EU has frozen funds allocated to Hungary on grounds that judicial independence and the rule of law were not properly ensured.
Against this backdrop, Magyar was able to expand his base by touring the country on the back of TISZA, which started not as a party but as a "movement." His grueling schedule of up to seven speeches a day and active engagement on social media drew in younger voters and those in the provinces, and his emphasis on poor public infrastructure and a livelihood-centered message proved effective.
He has presented as key pledges: ▲pro-EU stance ▲breaking dependence on Russian energy ▲media independence ▲restoring the judiciary ▲eradicating corruption ▲unfreezing EU funds, while highlighting solutions to livelihood issues as a main task. However, he has kept his distance from socially contentious issues such as LGBTQ rights or banning Pride events, and has avoided taking a direct position on the war in Ukraine, strategically calibrating his message to appeal to centrists and conservatives.
Meanwhile, the change of government is expected to bring a shift in Hungary's foreign policy, which had been at odds with the EU. According to the National Election Committee of Hungary, turnout in this general election was close to 80%, reportedly a record high.