Change of Power in Hungary
The Parliamentary Elections of April 12, 2026
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
A political earthquake took place at Hungary’s ballot boxes. After sixteen years in power, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party was voted out of office. The victor is Péter Magyar, who with the party Tisza secured a two-thirds majority. Magyar’s victory was fuelled by the population’s dissatisfaction with the economic situation as well as growing indignation over deficiencies in the health- and welfare system and the self-enrichment associated with Fidesz. Péter Magyar won over voters with a shrewd election campaign. He picked up on the concerns of ordinary people in the provinces and, in a structurally conservative country, pre-sented himself as an authentic conservative. He benefited from his charisma, his communication skills, and his intimate insights into Orbán’s power apparatus. Magyar and Tisza now face the need to embark on massive domestic policy reforms and to reposition Hungary within Europe.
(Osteuropa 1-2/2026, pp. 43–64)