Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary's prime minister on Saturday, officially ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule. The pro-European centre-right leader received a standing ovation in parliament during the ceremony, which he had invited people to join to "write Hungarian history" together and "step through the gate of regime change."
A New Chapter for Hungary
Minutes after being sworn in, Magyar declared that Hungarians had given his Tisza party a mandate to launch a "new chapter" in the country's history. "A mandate not only to change the government, but to change the system as well. To start again," he said. He criticized Orbán's tenure, stating that Hungary had become the most corrupt country in the EU under his watch. "Orbán's associates and the elite have a long way to go until they are confronted with what they have done," he vowed, promising to seek justice against those trying to "steal everything" even in the last hours.
Calls for Resignations
Magyar reiterated his earlier calls for Orbán-era appointees to resign by the end of the month, starting with President Tamás Sulyok, who had nominated him to form a government. The comment was met with enthusiastic cheers outside parliament.
Jubilation in Budapest
Early on Saturday, people gathered outside the neo-Gothic parliament building to watch the inaugural session on large screens. The crowd cheered at each glimpse of Magyar and booed lawmakers from Fidesz and the extreme right Our Homeland party. Many had traveled hours to be there. Erzsébet Medve, a 68-year-old school teacher from Miskolc, said, "This is the first time I feel like it's good to be Hungarian. I feel like I could cry." She had long watched in frustration as Orbán's government underfunded education.
Hopes for the Future
Marianna Szűcs, 70, said she hoped Hungary would become more livable. "Now we feel like our children and grandchildren have a future here," she said. The crowd cheered as the newly elected speaker, Ágnes Forsthoffer, announced the return of the EU flag to the parliament building, which had been removed by Fidesz in 2014. Szűcs, whose two children moved abroad after losing their jobs following her criticism of Fidesz, expressed hope they could return home.
Magyar's Rise to Power
Magyar's landslide victory, with Tisza winning 141 seats in the 199-seat parliament, was a stunning outcome for the former little-known member of Fidesz's elite. He burst into public view in early 2024 after turning on the party, exposing its inner workings and accusing officials of expanding their power and wealth at the expense of ordinary Hungarians. The new parliament marks the first time since 1990 that Orbán will not sit in parliament. He said he would focus on reorganizing his movement.
Undoing Orbán's Legacy
Magyar, 45, has vowed to use his large majority to undo the systems built by Orbán, who had stacked the judiciary, media, and state with loyalists. He also pledged to rebuild Hungary's strained relationship with the EU and unlock billions in frozen funds. Symbolic changes at Saturday's ceremony included anthems honoring EU membership, the Roma minority, and ethnic Hungarians abroad, while lawyer Vilmos Kátai-Németh became the country's first visually impaired minister. More than a quarter of lawmakers are women, a record high in post-communist Hungary.
Challenges Ahead
Magyar faces a huge task in fixing crumbling public services amid a stagnating economy and high budget deficit. It remains unclear how Orbán loyalists in media, academia, and the judiciary will react to change. Despite these challenges, the mood in Budapest was celebratory. Budapest's liberal mayor, Gergely Karácsony, called on Hungarians to mark the end of Fidesz's grip on power and thank the everyday heroes who stood up to the system. "Teachers fired, civilians and journalists humiliated, small churches torn apart. We can finally leave this era behind us," he wrote.
