BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� Hungary鈥檚 election winner, , called Monday on the country’s president to convene the parliament to form a new government 鈥渁s quickly as possible,” in hopes that he can take over from as prime minister as early as May 5.
With an Magyar pledged to cooperate with other European countries, ending Orb谩n-era obstruction of Europe-wide policies, while also representing Hungarians鈥� wishes.
At a news conference Monday in Budapest, he promised to restore rule of law and overhaul government structures to make them more independent and able to fight corruption, and to create new ministries to address acute problems in areas like public health, environmental protection and education.
He said he opposes fast-track EU membership for Ukraine while the country is still in a war. But he suggested he wouldn鈥檛 veto a 90-billion-euro EU loan for Ukraine, as Orb谩n did, and instead wants Hungary to 鈥硂pt out鈥� of participating in the loan because of its own financial struggles.
He didn鈥檛 immediately address his eventual relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, who supported Orb谩n’s campaign.
Magyar said his Tisza party received 鈥渁 never-before-seen mandate,” a super-majority that would allow it to embark on ambitious program and reforms.
鈥淭he Hungarian people didn鈥檛 vote for a simple change of government, but for a complete change in regime,鈥� he said.
In his campaign, . On Monday, Magyar thanked Moscow and Beijing for offering their congratulations and willingness to work with Hungary鈥檚 new government.
鈥淗ungarians said yesterday they will write their history, not in Moscow, not in Beijing, not in Washington,” he added.
During his long time in office, Orb谩n ruled with the power of a two-thirds parliamentary majority, allowing him to pass a new constitution, rewrite the electoral system and reshape the judiciary.
Magyar鈥檚 party secured exactly such a mandate Sunday when it won 138 of parliament鈥檚 199 seats, giving it broad authority to undo much of the legislation that allowed Orb谩n to stack the courts, manipulate the electoral system, crack down on press freedom and .
Still, there are potential pitfalls that could stand in the way of the radical changes many Hungarians had hoped for.
Historic win
Magyar鈥檚 victory was met with jubilation on the streets of Budapest late Sunday with tens of thousands, , celebrating what they view as a ray of hope that Orb谩n鈥檚 loss will make Hungary freer, happier and firmly rooted within the fold of European democracies.
On streets and avenues across the capital, drivers blared car horns and cranked up anti-government songs while people marching in the streets chanted and screamed.
During the celebrations, Adrien Rixer said he鈥檇 come back to Hungary from his home in London 鈥渂ecause I really wanted to make my vote count, and I鈥檓 over the moon.鈥�
鈥淔inally I can say that I鈥檓 a proud Hungarian, finally after 16 years,鈥� he said.
Many Hungarians, and others across Europe who were closely watching the election, had feared that a simple majority for Tisza would have been inadequate to truly transform Orb谩n鈥檚 system.
Yet others remain uncertain about what the authority of a two-thirds majority will bring, with some uneasy about taking such a mandate from Orb谩n and delivering it to his opponent.
鈥淚ts hard to see that with two-thirds that it’s going to be a fair government, but we will see,鈥� said reveller D谩niel Kov谩cs. 鈥淟ets hope that it鈥檚 going to be a promising four years.鈥�
The election win for Magyar and Tisza was without precedent in Hungary’s post-Communist history: They received more votes and more parliamentary seats than any party ever had before.
Bulcs煤 Hunyadi, an analyst with the Budapest-based think tank Political Capital, said that while Tisza’s constitutional majority gives it broad powers to roll back many of Orb谩n’s policies, Hungary’s key institutions are 鈥渓ed by people who are cemented in their position for many years.鈥�
As part of his broader effort to consolidate control over Hungary鈥檚 democratic system, Orb谩n installed loyal allies at the helm of key institutions, from the media authority to the public prosecutor鈥檚 office and the Constitutional Court.
In several cases, mandates were extended or new appointments pushed through before existing terms had expired 鈥� moves that effectively kept loyal leadership locked in place for years, well beyond any potential change in government.
Magyar called for such officials 鈥� including Hungary’s president 鈥� to step down of their own accord. Beyond that, Hunyadi said, 鈥渢hey don鈥檛 really have any other tools to remove these people.鈥�
Pressure from the EU
Magyar accuses Orb谩n and his government of mismanaging Hungary鈥檚 economy and social services, and overseeing unchecked corruption he says has led to the accumulation of extreme wealth within a small circle of well-connected insiders while leaving ordinary Hungarians behind.
He鈥檚 vowed to hold such abuses to account, and plans to create an Office for the Recovery and Protection of National Assets to reclaim what he says are Orb谩n鈥檚 allies’ ill-gotten gains.
Magyar campaigned heavily on a promise to bring home billions of euros in European Union funding that has been frozen over corruption and rule-of-law concerns under Orb谩n. He鈥檚 also pledged to introduce the euro to Hungary by 2030 鈥� something Orb谩n鈥檚 government long resisted.
Hunyadi, the analyst, said Magyar’s government will be under 鈥渢ight pressure鈥� by the EU to quickly carry out reforms in order to get access to those frozen funds that are badly needed by Hungary’s faltering economy.
鈥淭here are deadlines in terms of unfreezing the funds. They will have to deliver certain laws and reforms by August this year, which is only a few months away,鈥� he said.
Tisza’s win raised hopes across the EU that a new government in Budapest would reverse Orb谩n’s antagonistic approach to Ukraine and his obstruction of efforts to assist the war-ravaged country as it defends against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Orb谩n has used his veto power in the EU to stymie sanctions on Russia and block crucial funding to Kyiv. He’s also vowed never to allow talks on Ukraine joining the EU to resume.
In a statement on Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Orb谩n’s election campaign, 鈥渨hich unfortunately was marked by manipulative rhetoric about Ukraine, is now behind us.鈥�
鈥淲e expect that … the election results will also contribute to a normalization of political relations,鈥� Sybiha said.
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