Orbán to step down from Hungarian parliament after landslide defeat

Hungary — Ekhbary News Agency

Hungary's outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced he will not take up his seat in parliament after his party suffered a landslide defeat, ending his 16-year rule. Orbán made the announcement in a video statement released on social media, stating he is now needed "in the reorganisation of the patriotic movement" rather than in parliament. Despite being re-elected as an MP on Fidesz's proportional representation list, the party's seats plummeted from 135 to 52 in the April 12 vote, with the Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, securing more than a two-thirds majority in the 199-seat parliament.

This outcome paves the way for a significant reset of Hungary's domestic policies and its global relationships, as the defeat came amid brewing public unhappiness over allegations of corruption and graft, coupled with slipping living standards. Hungary's incoming prime minister has pledged to reverse Orbán-era changes to education and health, tackle corruption, restore judicial independence, and dismantle the patronage system. Magyar has also committed to seeking more cordial ties with Brussels and Kyiv, a departure from Orbán's previous alignment. The new Hungarian parliament is scheduled to hold its first session on May 9, and Orbán's fate as Fidesz leader will be decided at a party conference in June.