Orbán's main challenger: who is Péter Magyar and where he stands on Ukraine
Photo: Hungarian politician Péter Magyar (Getty Images)
Hungary has entered a new political era as Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule comes to an end. A politician who was largely unknown just a year ago, Péter Magyar, has won the election. He promises a pro-European course, though his stance on Ukraine remains mixed.
RBC-Ukraine explains who Péter Magyar is and what he has said about Ukraine.
Key points:
- Orbán’s defeat: Péter Magyar won the election, securing 138 out of 199 parliamentary seats, ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-year era.
- Rapid rise: A former Orbán ally became the opposition leader amid economic crisis and corruption scandals.
- Turn toward Brussels: Magyar promises to bring Hungary back toward the EU, unlock frozen funds, and introduce the euro.
- Position on Ukraine: He recognizes Russia as the aggressor but opposes arms supplies and Ukraine’s rapid accession to the EU and NATO.
- Financial aid: Despite his cautious stance, Magyar is likely to unblock EU assistance to Ukraine to improve relations with Brussels.
Who is Péter Magyar
Péter Magyar is a Hungarian politician and lawyer, and the former husband of Hungarian politician Judit Varga. He leads the Tisza party.
Just a year ago, Magyar was largely unknown and worked within government structures. However, during Hungary’s parliamentary elections, he emerged as the main challenger to pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, leader of the Fidesz party.
Magyar first launched a civic movement that organized mass anti-government protests and later transformed it into the Tisza political party.
After nearly all votes were counted on Sunday evening, it became clear that Orbán’s 16-year rule in Budapest had ended, as he conceded defeat to Magyar.
The Tisza party secured 138 seats in the 199-seat parliament, giving Magyar a strong majority and broad powers to implement reforms.
“Hungarians said ‘yes’ to Europe today, they said ‘yes’ to a free Hungary,” Magyar told supporters, calling on Orbán loyalists in state institutions to step down.
Although Magyar worked in Hungary’s Foreign Ministry under Orbán in 2010, he only fully broke with Fidesz in 2024 following a presidential pardon scandal.
His party became the strongest opposition force after the 2024 European Parliament elections.
Magyar plans to tackle corruption, unlock billions of euros in frozen EU funds, introduce taxes for the wealthiest, and reform the healthcare system.
His victory was driven by widespread public frustration over three years of economic stagnation, rising living costs, and enrichment of government-linked oligarchs. Despite fluctuating polling, demand for change proved decisive.
Magyar is often described as a conservative liberal, combining market-oriented economic views with an emphasis on civic responsibility, rule of law, and national culture. He has said his movement seeks to move beyond Hungary’s traditional left-right divide.
He is considered pro-European and supports adopting the euro once economic conditions are met, arguing it would strengthen Hungary’s financial stability and EU position.
What he has said about Ukraine
Despite criticizing Orbán’s close ties with Russia, Magyar cannot be described as unequivocally pro-Ukraine.
He opposes providing military aid to Ukraine and does not support fast-track EU membership. He also favors a gradual phase-out of Russian energy imports by 2035 rather than an immediate cutoff.
At the same time, he recognizes Russia as the aggressor. In July 2024, he visited Kyiv and the memorial wall of fallen soldiers near St. Michael’s Cathedral, coinciding with a Russian strike on the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, which he condemned.
Earlier in his campaign, in an interview with Klubradio, Magyar justified Russia’s actions and claimed the war was provoked by “American missile systems,” calling Ukraine’s EU accession an “escalation” and potential NATO membership the “start of World War III.”
However, shortly afterward, he issued a Facebook statement retracting those remarks, calling Russia the aggressor, stating that Vladimir Putin started the war and could end it, and affirming Ukraine’s right to defend its territory.
This year, Orbán vetoed a €90 billion loan for Ukraine previously agreed upon by EU leaders, including himself.
Hungary later withdrew its support after Russian oil imports via the Druzhba pipeline through Ukraine were halted. Orbán described this as a “deliberate manipulation by Kyiv” aimed at influencing Hungarian elections.
Ukraine requires funding to continue resisting Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already congratulated Hungary and said Kyiv is ready for “meetings and constructive cooperation for the benefit of both nations.”
According to Politico, Magyar is likely to unblock aid to Ukraine to maintain strong relations with Brussels.
