Peter Magyar, a former insider of Viktor Orban's own party, has ended the Hungarian strongman's 16-year grip on power, winning Sunday's parliamentary election by a landslide and positioning himself to become the country's next prime minister.
Magyar's centre-right Tisza party secured 138 seats in the 199-seat parliament with 53.6% of the vote. Orban's Fidesz party was reduced to 55 seats with 37.8%, a commanding two-thirds majority for Magyar.
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Speaking to tens of thousands of supporters gathered along the Danube River in Budapest, Magyar said: "Tonight, truth prevailed over lies."
But who is Magyar? And what does his victory mean for Hungary and the rest of the world?
From Orban Loyalist to His Biggest Threat
Magyar, 45, was born in Budapest in 1981 and trained as a lawyer. He joined Orban's Fidesz party as a student and spent years working in the government, including a posting at Hungary's Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels.
His break with Orban came in 2024 over a scandal that hit close to home. Hungary's president at the time had pardoned a man who had helped cover up the sexual abuse of children at a state-run home. The pardon caused public outrage.
It then emerged that Varga, Magyar's former wife and Orban's justice minister, had also signed off on the pardon. She resigned. Magyar, now divorced from Varga, released a private recording of a conversation with her in which she described how aides of Orban's cabinet chief had tried to interfere in a separate corruption case.
The recording went viral. Almost overnight, Magyar went from a little-known government official to the face of the opposition. He joined the Tisza party and won a seat in the European Parliament in 2024 before turning his sights on the 2026 national election.
What He Has Promised
Magyar has pledged to revive Hungary's stagnant economy, repair relations with the European Union, and reduce the country's dependence on Russian energy by 2035. He has also promised to secure frozen EU funds that Brussels withheld from Hungary under Orban.
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A Blow to Europe's Illiberal Wave
Magyar's victory does away with a belief that Orban cannot be defeated. For years, Orban was seen as a template for populist, anti-EU governance - admired by leaders from Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin. His defeat sends a signal that voters in countries with entrenched strongman rule can still break free at the ballot box. For the European Union, it means one of its most defiant members may finally come back into the fold.
Scandals and Challenges
Magyar's rise has not been without controversy. His former wife accused him of domestic violence, and earlier this year he was caught up in a sex scandal involving photographs circulated on social media, allegations he denied, calling them a "Russia-style" operation to discredit him.
Yet, the harder test begins now. Rebuilding Hungary's democratic institutions after 16 years of Orban will be a far more difficult task than winning the election.
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