“You had 15 years to fix this country.” The leader of the Hungarian opposition throws down a political gauntlet to Orban

Peter Magyar started the new year with a bang. In a speech posted on social media, the leader of the Hungarian opposition appealed to Viktor Orban to call new elections as soon as possible. He accused him of betraying the country. The devastating criticism of the Hungarian Prime Minister is breaking popularity records.

– Unprecedented destruction and mismanagement. No more. The nation says enough. We don't have any more time, so we won't give you another chance. It's time for new elections in Hungary. Set the election date as soon as possible so that our country does not waste unnecessary time – the leader of the opposition party appeals in the recording.

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Peter Magyar is on the rise. His Party of Respect and Freedom, or TISHA, defeated the ruling Fidesz in several polls. The average results of all recent surveys indicate that both parties are neck and neck.

When the Brussels website Politico included Magyar on the list of the most influential figures in Europe in 2025, it wrote that “Peter Magyar represents the first serious, credible challenge to Viktor Orban during his 14-year rule.”

Parliamentary elections in Hungary are scheduled for 2026. Orban will definitely not organize an early vote.

– This entire state apparatus, completely controlled by Orban, can still achieve a lot through propaganda and campaigns. Let us remember that before the previous elections, the United Opposition also performed better in opinion polls than Fidesz, and yet Fidesz won in 2022 with a huge advantage – points out Prof. Maciej Kisilowski from the Central European University in Vienna.

Peter Magyar is not a man from nowhere. The 43-year-old lawyer belonged to Orban's party for years and is the ex-husband of the long-time, controversial Minister of Justice, Judith Varga. Less than a year ago, Magyar quickly gained popularity when he openly opposed the government. In June he became an MEP. He accuses Orban of turning Hungary into a mafia state, the most corrupt country in the European Union.

– You had 15 years to repair this country and great opportunities. Two-thirds majority, billions from Europe, global economic boom. But instead of repairing the country and putting it on the path of development, you stole it, degraded it, squeezed it like a lemon, and extremely divided Hungarians – emphasizes Peter Magyar.

Magyar is often called the “light version of Orban” – he is not as anti-EU as the Hungarian Prime Minister, but he can hardly be called a Euro-enthusiast. Like Orban, he is not in favor of helping Ukraine, but he is also far from Putin. When Hungary gave asylum to Marcin Romanowski, the opposition leader said that Orban was unnecessarily involving the country in international scandals.

Orban's propaganda machine portrays Magyar as a puppet of Ursula von der Leyen and other Brussels officials. The first hooks and tapes appear.

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– Judith Varga accuses him of physical and verbal abuse. He doesn't defend himself very convincingly. Another of his loves, Mrs. Evelin Vogel, publishes secret recordings (…) in which she talks badly about her voters, journalists, and party colleagues. Therefore, it is not an ideal candidate – says prof. Maciej Kisilowski.

Before next year's elections, the economy will be a key topic. In terms of consumption level, Hungary will become the poorest country in the European Union in 2023. Now they have also irretrievably lost one billion euros of EU funds for failing to counteract corruption. This is the first such case in the history of the EU.