Peter Magyar, 45, is a conservative politician and lawmaker in the European Parliament. He became the main challenger to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban after splitting with the ruling Fidesz party in 2024, and threatened to unseat Orban in Sunday's general election, which he achieved tonight by convincingly winning the parliamentary election.
Magyar, who studied law, was a little-known member of Orban's party for more than two decades, serving as a diplomat in Brussels and holding senior positions in state agencies. He was married to Judit Varga, a key Fidesz figure, until 2023.
Magyar rose to prominence in 2024 after he split from Orban over a political scandal sparked by revelations that a man convicted of covering up sexual abuse at a children's home had been pardoned. That year, Magyar founded Tisza, a new political movement that won 30 percent of the vote in Hungary in the European Parliament elections.
His campaign has been fueled largely by widespread public anger over corruption, particularly the misuse of billions of euros in EU funds, and concern over Hungary's sluggish economic growth. He has promised to improve relations with the European Union, which has blocked development funds for Hungary amid allegations that Orban has undermined democratic institutions.
Magyar has focused on living standards and issues like Hungary’s crumbling healthcare system. But he has steered clear of issues like LGBTQ rights and has been silent on the banning of the Budapest Pride parade last year. And while he has criticized Orban’s tilt toward Russia by highlighting Moscow’s long history of bullying Hungary, he has avoided talking about the war in Ukraine.
t7 live
