Hungary's Tisza Party Pushes for Swift Power Transfer

Hungary’s Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, is preparing for a fast handover of power after winning last Sunday’s election, a result that ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year period in government. The vote delivered Tisza 52% support, which converts into 140 seats in the 199-seat National Assembly. Orbán’s Fidesz, by contrast, dropped to 53 seats from 135.

President Tamás Sulyok has agreed to bring forward the formation of the new parliament to the week of May 4. That timetable is intended to allow the new legislature to convene quickly and move to elect a new government without delay. The accelerated schedule sets the immediate procedural framework for the transition following the election outcome.

Magyar has set out early priorities that include changes to public service media. He said news programmes would be suspended until impartial editors are appointed. He has also said he plans to introduce legislation that would apply retroactively to cap prime ministerial terms at two, a step that would bar Orbán from returning to the premiership because Orbán has served five previous terms.

Orbán acknowledged the defeat on Thursday, saying, “This is the end of an era,” and he said he took personal responsibility for the result. He did not provide a detailed account of what went wrong in the campaign, beyond pointing to the delayed Paks 2 nuclear power station project. The statement marked his first public acceptance of the election outcome described in the results.

Inside Fidesz, the party is scheduled to hold a leadership meeting on April 28, ahead of a party congress in June. Orbán has indicated he would seek re-election as party leader, while also arguing the party needs “complete renewal.” The party’s reduced parliamentary footprint includes only 10 seats won in individual constituencies, with the rest coming from party lists.

Orbán also suggested that many of the new deputies placed on party lists should be replaced, saying they are not suited to opposition work. Separately, calls for leadership change have surfaced within Fidesz, with some members urging an assessment of the election outcome before any leadership vote. The party’s internal debate is unfolding alongside the formal steps toward seating the new parliament and selecting the next government.