Who Is Magyar Péter, the Man Who Brought About a Change of Power in Hungary?

According to The Financial News, the opposition Tisza Party led by Magyar Péter, long seen as an “outsider” in Hungarian politics, pulled off a political upset in the general election held on the 12th (local time) by defeating Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance. This result brings an end to Orbán’s 16-year-long rule.
Magyar, a member of the European Parliament (EP) and trained lawyer, was until just a year ago a key insider in the Orbán administration. As a Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance member for more than 20 years, he served as a diplomat in Brussels and held senior posts in government-affiliated institutions.
His political fate changed dramatically with the child sexual abuse pardon cover-up scandal that rocked Hungary in 2024. Disillusioned by what he saw as the government’s corruption and immorality, he publicly broke with Viktor Orbán and founded the new Tisza Party. The surge that had been foreshadowed when the party won about 30% of the vote in last year’s European Parliament election has now culminated in a full change of government in this general election.
With 66% of the votes counted so far, projections show the Tisza Party on track to secure 137 of the 199 seats in parliament. This would give it a commanding majority of more than two-thirds, enough to amend the constitution.
Analysts point to several key factors behind Magyar Péter’s victory: widespread public anger over entrenched government corruption, economic stagnation caused by the freezing of European Union (EU) funds, and his focus on everyday issues such as the country’s strained healthcare system. He has made it a top priority to repair relations with the EU in order to unlock billions of euros in frozen EU development fund money, which had been withheld over concerns that Viktor Orbán was undermining democracy.
Magyar also pursued a shrewd strategy to avoid repeating the failures of Orbán’s previous challengers. He kept a conservative profile by keeping his distance from progressive issues such as the rights of sexual and gender minorities and LGBTQ communities.
At the same time, he criticized Orbán’s pro-Russia stance while highlighting the history of oppression Hungary suffered at the hands of Russia and the former Soviet Union. This approach contrasted sharply with that of Péter Márki-Zay, the opposition candidate in the 2022 election, who was defeated after being portrayed as a “warmonger.” Magyar avoided direct commentary on the Russo-Ukrainian War, yet still managed to mount an effective attack on Orbán’s authoritarian foreign policy.
The fall of Viktor Orbán, long branded the “problem child of Europe” for his constant clashes with the European Union (EU), signals major changes for the EU as a whole. Hungarian voters have turned away from the past, when they tolerated unresponsive authoritarian rule in exchange for economic gains, and have instead chosen a return to the European community and more reasonable governance.
As his victory became all but certain, Magyar Péter declared, “Today, the people of Hungary overcame fear and chose hope,” adding, “The new Hungary will no longer be the private property of a corrupt dictator, but a country that belongs to all its citizens.”
jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter