Free Republic

Péter Magyar and the Tisza Party are dismantling democratic Hungary as we have known it since 1990. A large crowd attends a demonstration organised by the former government party-coalition Fidesz–KDNP (Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance and the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) to protest against the 17th amendment to Hungary’s constitution, in front of the Sándor Palace in Budapest on July 9, 2026. - ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP I belong to the generation that brought about genuine regime change in Hungary. I had the privilege of being part of the overthrow of the communist regime, when, in 1990, after decades...

hat is an “illiberal democracy”? Ever since Viktor Orbán coined the term, it has sparked endless debate. In reality, though, the answer is simple: It is the opposite of a liberal autocracy. And what is a liberal autocracy? Even simpler: It is what his successor, Péter Magyar, has been putting in place since taking power on May 13, 2026, under the complicit silence of Brussels and other European capitals that, until recently, were crying “totalitarian wolf” every other day. Sorry to disappoint you, but Hungary’s autocratic drift is happening now, not before. In the span of two highly productive weeks,...

Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar held his first international press conference after the 12 April election, which resulted in a supermajority victory for his Tisza Party. During the three-hour-long briefing, Magyar outlined key policies of the future government, including several aspects of foreign policy. ‘Hungary’s history is written by the Hungarian people, not in Moscow, not in Brussels, and not in Washington,’ he stressed, asking other countries to regard Hungary as a ‘free, independent and sovereign European country’ that is a member of the European Union and NATO. Magyar added that, under a Tisza government, Hungary will not ‘interfere in...

🇭🇺 HUGE! Magyar Péter REJECTS the EU Migration Pact: "Hungary will not accept any pact. In fact, I'm going to reinforce the border fence even more." Ursula's European Union cheered for nothing!

BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen waited less than a day after Hungary voted Viktor Orbán out of office to call for the EU to get more power over national governments to force through foreign policy decisions. Governments should be able to push through EU policies ― on issues that could include sanctions on Russia and funds for Ukraine ― by majority rather than allowing individual nations to wield a veto, she told reporters in Brussels. Under Orbán, Hungary’s prime minister for 16 years, Hungary has often blocked foreign policy decisions. “Moving to qualified majority voting in...

Péter Magyar, the Hungarian politician most likely to defeat Viktor Orbán, promises “regime change” but signals continuity on several core policies. The European Union should manage expectations and prepare for a more complex relationship than a simple post-Orbán reset. With less than two months to go before Hungary’s 12 April elections, the Tisza party led by Péter Magyar is polling ahead of Orban’s Fidesz. For the first time since 2010, a change of government appears genuinely possible. The stakes are high. A fifth consecutive term for Orbán would further entrench what the European Parliament has described as a “hybrid regime...

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat Sunday in the country’s parliamentary election, calling the result "clear" and "painful" as partial vote counts showed a decisive win for opposition leader Péter Magyar.

Hungarians go to the polls on Sunday in a vote that could bring down long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and have significant repercussions for the rest of Europe, the US and Russia. Most polls favour Péter Magyar, who formed a grassroots party after splitting from the ruling Fidesz party, but the night before the vote Orbán was in defiant mood. "We are going to achieve such a victory that will surprise everyone, perhaps even ourselves," he told several thousand supporters in a small square on Budapest's Castle Hill. Voting takes place from 06:00-19:00 (04:00-17:00 GMT) and results will start to...

Bungary's opposition party Tisza is on track to win a two-thirds parliamentary majority in Sunday's election, allowing it ‌to amend the constitution and key laws needed to unlock ‌EU funds, a projection from polling agency Median showed on Wednesday. Veteran nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban ​and his Fidesz party are facing the biggest challenge to their rule in 16 years as the centre-right Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, is leading in independent polls. Tisza is seen winning between 138 and 142 seats in the ‌199-member parliament, according to ⁠an estimate based on an analysis of Median's five most recent...