Key facts
- Péter Magyar's Tisza Party won a decisive victory, gaining a supermajority in Hungary's parliament.
- Key figures associated with Viktor Orbán's regime, including the president and chief prosecutor, have been forced out.
- Hungary has established an Asset Recovery and Asset Protection Office to investigate alleged corruption during Orbán's tenure.
- Investigations have been launched into former senior officials, with potential implications for Viktor Orbán himself.
- Hungary's Sovereignty Protection Office, criticized by the European Commission, has been shut down.
Péter Magyar has rapidly dismantled the political, legal, and economic system established by Hungary's former prime minister, Viktor Orbán, following a decisive election victory. Magyar's Tisza Party secured a supermajority, enabling swift constitutional and legislative changes.
Orbán's "System of National Cooperation" (NER), built over 16 years, was characterized by centralized control and "illiberalism." Critics likened it to a game where rules could be rewritten to favor one player. Orbán increasingly governed by decree, weakening democratic checks and balances through loyalist appointments and utilizing state media to propagate his narrative.
Magyar's campaign promise to dismantle NER and remove its figures proved highly popular. Key actions have included forcing the resignation of President Tamás Sulyok and Chief Prosecutor Gábor Bálint Nagy. A constitutional amendment terminated Sulyok's mandate and imposed term limits and retirement ages for constitutional judges, leading to the removal of Péter Polt, a long-time Orbán ally.
Further actions involved dismissing four secret service chiefs, the head of counterterrorism police János Hajdu, and Orbán's former spokesperson Bertalan Havasi. Hungary's Sovereignty Protection Office, which faced criticism from the European Commission for targeting foreign-funded entities, has been shut down.
In response to widespread allegations of corruption, Hungary established the Asset Recovery and Asset Protection Office. Investigations are expected to target prominent figures close to Orbán, including his childhood friend Lőrinc Mészáros, son-in-law István Tiborcz, and father Győző Orbán. The alleged loss of approximately 500 billion forints (€1.38 billion) from the Hungarian National Bank, involving former governor György Matolcsy, is also under scrutiny.
Magyar's government has also requested the tax authority to block transfers of Orbán-linked assets abroad. Hungary's impending accession to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) will allow retrospective investigation of EU fund fraud. Criminal investigations have commenced, potentially implicating Viktor Orbán himself, including his presence during a controversial raid on Ukrainian money-carrying vehicles. Separately, Fidesz's data servers were seized amid an investigation into alleged misuse of cultural funds for party campaigning.