Péter Magyar Sworn In as Hungary's New Prime Minister After Defeating Orbán

Péter Magyar took his oath of office Saturday to become Hungary's new prime minister, ending Viktor Orbán's 16 years in power.

Magyar's center-right Tisza party defeated Orbán's nationalist-populist Fidesz in an election last month. Tisza gained more votes and seats in Parliament than any other party in Hungary's post-Communist history. The victory delivered a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

That majority will let Tisza roll back policies that earned Orbán, an ally of U.S. President Trump's administration, a reputation as a far-right authoritarian among critics.

In a speech to lawmakers after being sworn in, Magyar said he would not use his office to "rule" Hungary, "but to serve my homeland."

"I'm not standing here because I'm different from anyone else in the country," Magyar said. "I stand here because millions of Hungarians decided that they want change. And this trust that we have received is both a weight of honor and a moral obligation, but also a wonderful feeling."

Magyar has vowed to restore democratic institutions and checks and balances eroded under Orbán, and to crack down on alleged corruption.

His government should reshape political dynamics in the European Union. Orbán had repeatedly vetoed key EU decisions, including recent ones on aid to neighboring Ukraine.

The 45-year-old lawyer founded Tisza in 2024 after years as an insider in Orbán's party. Far more pro-EU and anti-Russia than his predecessor, Magyar quit Fidesz that year. He cited a culture of mass corruption under Orbán's leadership.

Magyar also backs conservative anti-immigration positions. He has called for strong EU border protection and opposed redistributing asylum-seekers across Europe.

Tisza holds 141 seats in Hungary's 199-seat parliament. Orbán's Fidesz-KDNP coalition has 52 seats, down from 135. The far-right Mi Hazánk party controls six.

Nearly 3.4 million Hungarians voted for Tisza. Many expect Magyar to hold Fidesz officials and business allies accountable for misconduct in the outgoing administration.

Magyar plans a National Asset Recovery and Protection Office to investigate and recover public funds misused under Orbán. He also vowed to suspend Hungary's public broadcaster news services, seen as an Orbán mouthpiece, until objectivity returns.

In his speech Saturday, Magyar said voters gave a mandate to open a new chapter. "We must understand, however, that there can be no new beginning without reconciliation. There can be no reconciliation without justice. And there can be no justice without confronting the past."

Magyar promised to mend ties with the EU, strained under Orbán, and restore Hungary's standing among Western democracies as Orbán grew closer to Russia.

Workers raised the EU flag on Parliament Saturday afternoon. It had been absent since Orbán's government removed it in 2014.

Unlocking about $20 billion in frozen EU funds tops Magyar's list. The funds were held back over rule-of-law and corruption issues. The cash could revive Hungary's economy, stagnant for four years.

Web designer Áron Farsang, 27, attended the event. He expects the Tisza government to rebuild democratic institutions and steer Hungary back to the EU. "I would also really like it if we could get rid of the Russian influence as soon as possible," he said. "I'm thinking about energy dependency and their general political style."

Hungary's new assembly includes 54 women lawmakers, mostly from Tisza. That is more than a quarter of the total, the highest ever.

Economist Andrea Szepesi from Budapest called it "about time." Under Orbán, Hungary had fewer women in government than almost all other EU nations. "Finally, women are able to participate in this new, beautiful democratic system and the flourishing of the country," she told The Associated Press.

The 199 representatives took oaths around 11 a.m. local time. Orbán missed the event for the first time since Hungary's first post-Communist Parliament formed in 1990.

Magyar had called for an all-day "regime-change" celebration on Kossuth Square. Thousands gathered outside Parliament as lawmakers were sworn in. Many waved Hungarian and EU flags and wore Tisza T-shirts.

Cheers broke out on large screens whenever Magyar appeared. He planned to address the crowd after Parliament's inaugural session.