Next Hungarian PM vows new course after 16 years of Orbán

The man set to become Hungary’s next prime minister on Monday promised to root out corruption, strengthen ties with the European Union, and reduce the country’s dependence on Russian oil. Péter Magyar delivered his Monday statements to the press flanked by both Hungarian and European Union flags. He earlier said his goal was a “free, European, functioning, and humane Hungary.”

Magyar’s remarks came after his center-right Tisza party on Sunday won 138 of 199 seats in Hungary’s parliament with nearly all ballots counted, handing a landslide defeat to incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party. The parliament is expected to elect Magyar as the next prime minister within 30 days, ending Orbán’s 16-year rule of Hungary. Orban conceded defeat and congratulated Magyar in a phone call on Sunday, Magyar said.

European leaders cheered his win in public statements. Hungary had chosen Europe, European Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen said. French President Emmanuel Macron said he and Magyar would work together to advance the security and competitiveness of Europe.

The United States had backed Orbán in the election, calling him an economic and moral ally as well as a partner in negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine war. Orbán frequently criticized the extent of Europe’s financial support for Ukraine, and imported nearly all of Hungary’s oil from Russia. President Donald Trump didn’t issue a direct response to the Hungarian election results. But he shared a video of previous remarks in which he said that mass migration and a lack of energy investment would destroy Europe.

Dig deeper: Read Harrison Watters’ report on U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s recent visit to Hungary.