As Hungary’s politics continues to shift, a new force is emerging in the form of Peter Magyar, a 44-year-old lawyer who has been making waves with his unexpected rise to prominence. With polls showing him up to eight percentage points ahead of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party, Magyar’s message of change and reform has resonated with many Hungarians.
Peter Magyar, a 44-year-old lawyer from Budapest, has been making waves in Hungarian politics with his unexpected rise to prominence. As the leader of the Tisza party, he is currently polling up to eight percentage points ahead of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party.
Peter Magyar is a Hungarian airline executive who has held various leadership positions in the aviation industry.
Born in Hungary, Magyar began his career as a pilot before transitioning to management roles.
He served as the CEO of Malev Hungarian Airlines from 2007 to 2012 and played a key role in shaping the company's strategy during its restructuring period.
Magyar's experience in the airline industry has provided valuable insights into the complexities of air travel and transportation.
Hungary has been under Orban’s leadership since 2010, and despite his promises of a better life, many Hungarians have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. The prime minister and those in his circle of power primarily serve their own supporters, who make up about a third of the electorate, while everyone else struggles to make ends meet.
Viktor Orbán is a Hungarian politician who has been the Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010.
Born on May 31, 1963, in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, Orbán studied literature at Eötvös Loránd University and later earned a doctorate in history from the same institution.
He was first elected to parliament in 1990 and served as Prime Minister from 1998 to 2002.
Orbán's Fidesz party has been known for its conservative policies and criticism of EU immigration policies.
The infrastructure in Hungary is also in disrepair, with bad roads, neglected hospitals and schools, and chaotic administration services. In contrast, Magyar’s message of change and reform has resonated with many Hungarians, who see him as a breath of fresh air.
Just over a year ago, two high-ranking Fidesz politicians, including former justice minister Judit Varga, were forced to resign amid public uproar when it emerged that they had pardoned a man convicted of child sex abuse. This scandal marked a turning point in Magyar’s career, as he began to speak out against the hypocrisy of the Orban regime and his own party’s homophobia.
Judit Varga is a Hungarian politician and lawyer, serving as the Minister of Justice since May 2018.
She holds a degree in law from Eötvös Loránd University and began her career as a prosecutor.
Varga has been involved in several high-profile cases, including the corruption investigation into Hungary's National Bank.
As Minister of Justice, she has implemented various reforms aimed at improving the efficiency and transparency of the Hungarian justice system.
Magyar was closely linked to Varga until their divorce, but after her resignation, he decided to enter politics and run in the European elections in June 2024. He ‘took over‘ an existing minor party, Tisza, which had been founded a few years earlier at the local level, and quickly turned it into a PR success.
Magyar has adopted many of Orban’s campaign tricks, but with key differences. He has promised to fight corruption and investigate Orban and his oligarchs for abuse of office and theft of public funds. He has also linked this pledge to his declaration of intent to systematically fight corruption and promote judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
On the issue of migration, Magyar wants to continue Orban’s strict policies, but presents himself as a more nuanced and honest alternative. However, his relationship with independent journalists and the media can be problematic, and he has been accused of hypocrisy on several occasions.
Magyar’s party, Tisza, has become a major force in Hungarian politics, and its slogan, ‘The Tisza flood is coming!‘, has resonated with many voters. In the European elections, Tisza garnered almost 30% of the vote, while Fidesz dropped to 44%, losing eight points.
Orban has responded to Magyar’s rise by labeling him a ‘puppet‘ of Brussels and accusing him of making a ‘pact with the EU‘. However, Magyar’s own surveys have shown that 58% of Hungarians support Ukraine joining the EU, which contradicts Orban’s stance.
