Viktor Orbán Predicts Return to Power as Peter Magyar Pursues System Change

Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has stated that while he currently lacks credit with voters, he expects the public to eventually call him back to power. Speaking on Hír TV, Orbán claimed that the current government, led by Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party, is deceiving the public and will eventually be removed by the people. Orbán emphasized that the right wing must remain unified to have a chance at victory and focused his current efforts on reorganizing his own supporters following his electoral defeat.

Orbán characterized the current administration as an aggressive, new communist government that is building an autocracy. He specifically cited the arrest of former Óbuda mayor Balázs Bús as an example of political imprisonment. Orbán also criticized the creation of the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, which he described as an AVH type institution, and vowed that those working there would be held accountable if Fidesz returns to power.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Peter Magyar is implementing a system change to undo the reforms of the Orbán era. In his first hundred days, Magyar has fulfilled several campaign promises, including restructuring state controlled media and replacing President Tamas Sulyok through a tailored legislative change. Magyar has also introduced adjustments to election laws and term limits for parliamentarians and heads of government, which apply retroactively to Fidesz and Orbán.

Reporting on these developments differs by political perspective. A center leaning source focuses on Orbán's strategic admission of Fidesz's fragmentation and his warnings about the current government's alleged authoritarianism. A center right leaning source frames the situation as a risk that Magyar's drive for a reckoning with the past may lead him to adopt the same illiberal methods used by Orbán, noting that Magyar's use of a two thirds majority to bypass compromise mirrors the behavior of his predecessor.