Péter Magyar Inaugurated as Hungary's Prime Minister, Concluding Viktor Orbán's 16-Year Tenure

Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary's new prime minister on May 9, 2026, marking the end of Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure. Magyar's center-right Tisza party achieved a historic victory over Orbán's Fidesz party, winning a two-thirds majority in parliament.

In his inaugural address, Magyar emphasized his commitment to serving the nation, stating he would not use his office to "rule" Hungary, "but to serve my homeland." He acknowledged the public's desire for change, noting that millions of Hungarians had decided they wanted a new direction.

Magyar has pledged to restore democratic institutions and governmental checks and balances that were heavily eroded during Orbán's rule, and to clamp down on alleged corruption. His government is expected to transform political dynamics within the European Union, where the former prime minister had upended the bloc by frequently vetoing key decisions, most recently concerning support for neighboring Ukraine.

The Tisza party now controls 141 seats in Hungary's 199-seat parliament. Orbán's Fidesz-KDNP coalition controls 52 seats, down from 135, while the far-right Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland) party holds six seats.

Magyar plans to establish a National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, an authority tasked with investigating and recovering public funds misused during Orbán's tenure. He's also vowed to suspend the news services of Hungary's public broadcaster—widely seen as a mouthpiece of Orbán's party—until objectivity can be restored.

In his speech to lawmakers, Magyar referenced his intentions to hold former officials accountable for past abuses, saying voters had "given us a mandate to open a new chapter in Hungary's history." He emphasized that reconciliation requires confronting the past and achieving justice.

Magyar has promised to repair his country's ties with the EU, which Orbán had pushed to a breaking point, and to restore Hungary's place among Western democracies, whose standing had been called into question as Orbán drifted ever closer to Russia. The EU flag was raised on the Parliament building's facade Saturday afternoon for the first time since Orbán's government removed it in 2014.

Unlocking about $20 billion of EU funds for Hungary frozen during Orbán's time in office over rule-of-law and corruption concerns is among the incoming prime minister's top priorities. The money is sorely needed to help jump-start Hungary's struggling economy, which has stagnated for the past four years.

Hungary's new national assembly has 54 women lawmakers, most from the Tisza party—more than a quarter of the total and the most in Hungary's history.

The 199 representatives took their oaths of office at around 11 a.m. local time. Orbán was not among them for the first time since Hungary's first post-Communist Parliament was formed in 1990.

Magyar earlier called on Hungarians to attend an all-day "regime-change" celebration on Kossuth Square outside Parliament to mark his inauguration and the end of the Orbán era. Thousands had already gathered in the square as the new representatives were sworn in, many waving Hungarian and EU flags and wearing Tisza T-shirts.