Peter Magyar
News
The Defeat of Viktor Orbán’s Mafia State: Why Orbán Had to Relinquish Power—and What Other Opposition Movements Can Learn from Péter Magyar
Viktor Orbán’s removal from power did not occur because his regime suddenly became democratic: it happened because he lacked the capacity to deploy violence against already mobilized masses in the face of a devastating electoral defeat. In the second part of their two-part analysis, Bálint Madlovics and Bálint Magyar explain why the mafia state ultimately proved unable to escalate coercion further—and what democratic opposition movements elsewhere may learn from the Hungarian case.
29.05.2026
News
The Defeat of Viktor Orbán’s Mafia State: How A Mass Movement Emerged Within an Autocratic System
Sixteen years after Viktor Orbán transformed Hungary into what authors describe as a “mafia state,” his regime was defeated through elections. In the first part of their two-part analysis, Bálint Madlovics and Bálint Magyar examine how a mass democratic movement was able to emerge within an authoritarian system designed precisely to prevent such a challenge, and why the Orbán regime ultimately proved unable to stop it
26.05.2026
News
Meanders of Democratic Renewal. What Can Hungary Learn from the Polish Experience?
Hungary’s parliamentary election brought a spectacular victory for the opposition. Viktor Orbán has lost power after 16 years of continued rule. His challenger, Péter Magyar, managed to build a movement that took advantage of a system meticulously rigged to prevent the incumbent from ever losing power. It is a victory against a captured state that systematically used the Hungarian public assets for private profit and unfair partisan advantage. Yet, the electoral victory will not automatically restore democratic standards and a rule-based order. In her op-ed, Maria Skora argues that the recent experience of Poland, which has been struggling to overcome the consequences of its own autocratic episode, might help Hungary to navigate the risks of re-democratization.
21.04.2026
News
Hungary Replaced Orbán – But Can It Replace His Foreign Policy Legacy?
Orbán’s defeat in last Sunday’s election rings in a new era for Hungary, but also for its partners to the East and West. In her op-ed, Gabriela Greilinger argues that while Péter Magyar’s calls for more pragmatism and constructive relations with Western partners suggest, in part, a decoupling from the country’s former “Eastern Opening”, some challenges will remain.
16.04.2026
News
All At Once – Coping with Positive Shock in Hungary
Bucking wider trends once again, Hungarian voters ousted a seemingly entrenched quasi-party state on Sunday. The resounding defeat of the first proudly illiberal regime within the enlarged West forces us to revise entrenched wisdoms about the System of National Cooperation and its leader. The unhoped-for supermajority for Tisza also shows the country’s political culture and historical trajectory in a new light. Ferenc Laczó reflects on the meaning of the Hungarian elections.
14.04.2026
News
Watershed Elections in Hungary? – What’s at Stake?
For the past 16 years, Hungary has increasingly come to be seen as the epitome of swift and steady democratic decline ending in a clear path toward autocratization. However, the ruling Fidesz party anticipates the 2026 general elections with a challenger that looks more credible and more popular than the ones it defeated during the past four elections, which opens the possibility for democratic recovery. Still, questions abound regarding the peaceful transition of power, the legal possibilities for rebuilding the rule of law and restoring media freedom, the reintegration of the country into the EU, as well as the malleability of popular attitudes that made the 16-year rule of Fidesz possible in the first place.
9.04.2026
News
Fidesz on the Defensive: Sixteen Years of Dominance Under Threat
Hungary's April 2026 parliamentary election presents the first serious challenge to Viktor Orbán's sixteen-year rule. Péter Magyar's Tisza party, built on technocratic populism and a clean break from the discredited old opposition, leads Fidesz by roughly ten points among committed voters. This analysis examines the roots of Fidesz's vulnerability, the dynamics of a campaign dominated by economic grievances and a series of scandals, and the scenarios that could yet determine the outcome.
4.02.2026
News
Reimagining Hungary’s Foreign Policy: Challenges and Opportunities for a Future Democratic Government
The April 2026 elections can mark the end of Hungary’s 16-year experiment with illiberalism and open a new chapter in its relations with Europe and the wider world. After more than a decade of multivectoral diplomacy—balancing uneasily between Brussels, Washington, Moscow, and Beijing—a new government might need to redefine the country’s place within the Euro-Atlantic community while confronting the legacies of dependency and mistrust left behind. The following analysis outlines the strategic framework for such a reorientation, mapping the challenges, trade-offs, and opportunities facing a future democratic Hungary.
25.11.2025
