Official: Magyar becomes Hungary's new prime minister
Péter Magyar (photo: Getty Images)
Hungary held the first session of its new parliament on Saturday, May 9, during which Péter Magyar, leader of the election-winning Tisza Party, was elected the country's new prime minister, according to Telex, Clash Report, and other media outlets.
A majority of newly elected lawmakers voted in favor of Magyar's appointment as prime minister. 140 MPs voted "for," while 54 voted "against."
In addition, Ágnes Forsthoffer, deputy leader of the Tisza Party, was elected speaker of parliament. Her appointment was supported by 193 lawmakers, with 2 voting "against."
Notably, one of the speaker's first decisions was to restore the European Union flag on the parliament building. This happened for the first time in 12 years.
The media also note that former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán did not attend the inaugural session.
Important that, according to the election results, the Tisza Party secured a constitutional majority in parliament (141 mandates out of 133 required and 199 total).
Magyar's stance on Ukraine
Recently, Péter Magyar has stated that the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine must be expanded. He indicated that only under such conditions would Budapest be ready to support the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
Media have also reported that Magyar's position largely mirrors demands previously voiced by former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. In particular, this includes a list of 11 points presented to Kyiv in 2024 that placed special emphasis on the rights of the Hungarian community and on access to education in Hungarian.
Reports also emerged that Péter Magyar recently met with Berehove Mayor Babják Zoltán. They discussed support for the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia and the possibility of restoring constructive relations between Ukraine and Hungary.
In addition, Magyar said he had proposed meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berehove in June to discuss these issues.
