5 things to know about Péter Magyar, Hungary's new prime minister - BERITAJA

Péter Magyar, leader of the pro-European blimpish Tisza party, speaks astatine a Monday property convention the time aft his landslide predetermination victory. Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

In a stunning move of events, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán mislaid his bid for a 5th consecutive word connected Sunday aft voters turned retired successful numbers not seen since the autumn of communism successful the 1990s.

Voters — fueled mostly by concerns about entrenched government corruption — overwhelmingly chose Péter Magyar, a 45-year-old lawyer and leader who until respective years agone was a staunch Orbán loyalist.

He burst onto the segment arsenic an guidance leader successful 2024, rising quickly to go the leader of the center-right Tisza Party, which won a two-thirds majority successful Sunday's parliamentary election. Orbán, who has led Hungary for 16 years, conceded and congratulated Magyar little than 3 hours aft polls closed.

In a victory speech delivered to a oversea of jubilant supporters connected the banks of the Danube River, Magyar reiterated his promises to rebuild Hungary's ties pinch the European Union and NATO, guidelines retired corruption and cronyism and "restore the strategy of checks and balances."

The state has economical inducement to do so: Since 2022, the EU has frozen billions of dollars' worth of backing for the state because it said Orbán was violating cardinal antiauthoritarian values. Magyar said the state will "never again let anyone to clasp free Hungary captive aliases to wantonness it."

"Today we won because the Hungarian group didn't inquire what their state could do for them, but what they could do for their country," he said, evoking U.S. President John F. Kennedy, arsenic immoderate spectators chanted "Europe, Europe."

Magyar's landslide triumph is "truly unprecedented" for galore reasons, says Abel Bojar, investigation head astatine the polling level Europion.

"If you deliberation about the benignant of governmental headwinds that … Magyar had to sail against, specified arsenic the backing asymmetry that his statement had against the authorities servants of the state of Orbán, media access, the novelty of the statement — I mean, he built up a full instrumentality astatine utmost levels of professionality successful 2 years," Bojar told BERITAJA connected Sunday. "And the database goes on."

Magyar has made a batch of promises to re-democratize the country, and his statement now has the parliamentary mostly needed to make law changes to that end. But, Bojar says, critics — and moreover cautious observers — mobility whether he will travel through.

"I'm not successful a position correct now to springiness you a yes aliases nary answer, but it's surely a governmental consequence that he will maltreatment this opportunity," he added.

On Monday, Magyar called connected Hungary's president to convene parliament to shape a caller authorities arsenic soon arsenic May 5. Here are 5 things to cognize about Magyar arsenic he prepares to return the helm.

1. A ungraded fueled his rise 

Magyar, who began his career arsenic a judge and lawyer, spent overmuch of his master life arsenic half of a now-fractured governmental powerfulness couple.

He and his then-wife, Judit Varga, spent years surviving pinch their children successful Brussels, wherever she was a argumentation advisor to Hungarian members of the European Parliament and he worked arsenic a diplomat. A 2025 Politico ranking of European governmental figures described Magyar arsenic a "key but discreet insider" during that time.

In 2019, Varga was tapped arsenic Hungary's curate of justness nether Orbán. Back successful Hungary, Magyar's jobs included moving the state-owned Student Loan Centre and the ineligible section of the Hungarian Development Bank. The mates divided successful 2023 (more connected that below).

Péter Magyar burst onto the segment arsenic a authorities whistleblower successful a live-streamed question and reply pinch online TV transmission Partizan successful February 2024, which has since garnered millions of views. Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

At that point, Magyar was a longtime protagonist of the premier minister. He has said successful recent years that he had a poster of Orbán — past a wide anti-communist — connected his chamber wall during his puerility successful Budapest, and joined Orbán's Fidesz statement successful college.

But things changed successful early 2024, erstwhile Fidesz was rocked by scandal.

Hungary's then-president, Katalin Novák, pardoned a erstwhile charismatic convicted of covering up maltreatment of underage boys astatine a state-run children's home. The incident had widespread repercussions for a statement that campaigned successful portion connected protecting family values: After a nationalist outcry, Novák resigned — arsenic did Varga, who had besides signed the pardon successful her domiciled arsenic justness minister.

At that point, Magyar, leveraging his position arsenic a erstwhile insider, began to publically criticize Orbán's government. In an instantly-viral 2024 video question and reply pinch the Hungarian outlet Partizán, he accused the authorities not only of corruption but of scapegoating female leaders for illustration his ex-wife, saying he didn't want to beryllium portion of a strategy wherever the "real culprits hide down women's skirts."

Magyar's connection resonated — successful millions of video views and astatine nationalist rallies he organized that spring, arsenic he launched a caller governmental movement.

Rather than discarded clip registering a statement from scratch, conscionable months earlier the European Parliament predetermination successful June 2024, he revived the inactive Tisza statement (whose afloat sanction translates to the "Respect and Freedom Party"). The statement went connected to triumph 30% of the vote, and Magyar became a personnel of the European Parliament.

2. He has weathered controversies

Magyar has blamed the extremity of his matrimony to Varga astatine slightest successful portion connected governmental disagreements. Notably, conscionable months earlier their divorcement was finalized successful 2023, he secretly recorded 1 of their conversations.

In it, Varga was talking about an effort by authorities aides to interfere successful a corruption case. Magyar released that recording successful the aftermath of the pardon ungraded the pursuing year, which only added substance to the occurrence and credence to his corruption claims.

The Hungarian prosecutor's agency yet found nary evidence to support further investigation, but the outcry — to the signaling and the pardon incident itself — prompted Varga to resign from nationalist life altogether successful 2024.

Magyar was joined to Judit Varga, who served arsenic Hungary's justness curate from 2019 to 2023. The pursuing year, a ungraded forced her to resign from nationalist life. Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

Varga has accused Magyar of verbal and beingness abuse, including locking her successful a room astatine 1 constituent during their marriage, and described his concealed signaling arsenic an enactment of "betrayal."

Magyar has denied the allegations, which he dismissed arsenic "propaganda" by Orbán's authorities successful an effort to discredit his nascent governmental career.

He likewise accused the authorities of trying to undermine his run pinch what he called a "honey trap" operation.

He revenge a constabulary study in February, aft photos of a chamber circulated online hinting astatine the beingness of a activity tape. Magyar said they were from a 2024 incident successful which he says a then-girlfriend lured him to a Budapest flat aft a statement and secretly recorded their consensual brushwood utilizing forbidden "secret work means."

"The authorities must besides analyse who ordered the crimes. I will help: they should beryllium searching the authorities headquarters," he said. It is not clear if specified an investigation happened; nary video was yet released.

3. His family sanction is simply a recognizable one  

Peter Magyar delivers a reside during a objection successful Budapest connected March 15, 2024, connected National Day, marking the Hungarian gyration against the Austrian Empire successful 1848. It marked the commencement of his governmental movement. Ferenc Isza/AFP via Getty Images

Ferenc Isza/AFP via Getty Images

Magyar comes from a family of salient conservatives successful Hungary, according to EuroNews. His grandfather was the well-known lawyer and TV characteristic Pál Erőss, and his godfather Ferenc Mádl was the president of Hungary from 2000 to 2005.

Even his surname is fresh for politics: "Magyar" translates to "Hungarian" successful English.

"'Péter Magyar' is an almost too-perfect Hungarian name. It'd beryllium for illustration a feline named 'Johnny America' moving for President of the United States," historiographer Aaron Astor tweeted connected Sunday.

4. He's been vague connected immoderate hot-button issues 

While Magyar campaigned mostly connected fighting corruption, restoring antiauthoritarian norms and reviving Hungary's economy, his stance connected immoderate different divisive issues is little clear.

He mostly avoided talking about LGBTQ+ rights connected the run trail. Homosexuality is ineligible successful Hungary, though the authorities banned Pride events past year. At the time, Magyar criticized the determination arsenic a distraction from different issues affecting citizens, and said his authorities would protect the correct to assembly, but steered clear of an definitive connection successful support of that cause.

Magyar has besides been comparatively quiet about Ukraine, successful opposition to the Kremlin-friendly Orbán. On Monday, aft his election, Magyar said if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to call, he would prime up the telephone and show him to extremity the warfare successful Ukraine.

"It would about apt beryllium a short telephone speech and I don't deliberation he would extremity the warfare connected my advice," he said, according to the Associated Press.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Magyar and his statement connected their win, penning connected social media that "it is important erstwhile a constructive attack prevails."

"We are fresh for meetings and associated constructive activity for the use of some nations, arsenic good arsenic peace, information and stableness successful Europe," Zelenskyy wrote.

Peter Magyar addressed supporters from the banks of the Danube River successful Budapest aft his triumph connected Sunday. Janos Kummer/Getty Images

Janos Kummer/Getty Images

5. Western leaders invited him — pinch 1 exception

European politicians person celebrated Magyar's victory, which European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called a "victory for basal freedoms."

Congratulatory messages person besides poured successful from the leaders of France, Spain, Poland, Romania, Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Slovenia, Germany and others.

In the U.S., lawmakers from some parties welcomed Magyar's win.

Senate Armed Services Committee chair Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., interpreted it arsenic Hungary's rejection of Putin. Some Democrats went moreover further, pinch House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer informing that this fall's midterm elections could likewise spell problem for President Trump.

"Pay attention, Donald Trump. Wannabe dictators deterioration retired their welcome," Schumer tweeted. "November 2026 can't travel soon enough."

Trump has not weighed successful connected Magyar's win, contempt his vocal endorsements of Orbán up of the election. Vice President Vance said astatine a rally for Orbán successful Budapest past week, arsenic the premier curate appeared to lag successful the polls.