Magyar, 45, leader of the centre-right Tisza party, rose to power on promises of sweeping change after years of economic stagnation under Orbán, as well as strained relations with key allies, including the European Union.
Peter Magyar has been sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister, nearly a month after parliamentary elections that ended Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power.
Magyar, 45, leader of the centre-right Tisza party, rose to power on promises of sweeping change after years of economic stagnation under Orbán, as well as strained relations with key allies, including the European Union.
On Saturday, he urged Hungarians to “step through the gate of regime change,” signalling a new political era.
His party secured a strong parliamentary majority, winning 141 of the 199 seats.
However, Magyar now faces significant challenges, including repairing Hungary’s relationship with the EU, revitalising the economy, and addressing a budget deficit that had already reached nearly three-quarters of its full-year target by April.
The swearing-in ceremony took place inside Hungary’s neo-Gothic parliament building, where the European Union flag previously removed under Orbán was displayed in the chamber for the first time in 12 years.
The newly appointed parliamentary speaker, Agnes Forsthoffer, made her first official act the reinstatement of the flag, calling it “the first symbolic step on this path back to Europe.”
Magyar’s government is also expected to pursue negotiations with the EU to unlock around $20 billion in frozen funding, withheld over concerns about human rights and the rule of law under Orbán’s administration.
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