Key facts
- Viktor Orban has been re-elected as the leader of Hungary's Fidesz party.
- The re-election occurred despite Fidesz's loss in the April 12 election to the Tisza party.
- Orban received 729 out of 737 delegate votes.
- Orban stated that Fidesz must change to become a functional opposition party.
- The Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
Viktor Orban has been re-elected as the leader of Hungary's Fidesz party for another year, despite the party's significant loss in the April 12 election to the centre-right Tisza party. Orban, who received overwhelming support from 729 out of 737 delegates at the party congress, acknowledged the defeat and stated that Fidesz needs to transform into a functional opposition party capable of governing again.
Orban, a nationalist figure who has inspired conservatives across Europe and the United States with his "illiberal" model of democracy, faced some internal pressure to step down following the election loss, the first open criticism of his leadership since he came to power in 2010. The Tisza party, led by Prime Minister Peter Magyar, secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority, granting them the power to reverse Orban's previous constitutional changes.
Since the election, Fidesz's support has reportedly declined, with a May poll by the Publicus Institute showing Tisza with 55% backing, while Fidesz support dropped to 17%.