Current Political Situation in Hungary: Analysis of Historical Events

Abstract

In the late 80s of the XXth century, as a result of the Velvet Revolution, Hungary as a parliamentary republic began to build a democratic society based on a multi-party system. Until 2010, as a result of the elections to the State Assembly of the country, coalitions changed, conservatives, socialists, and liberals came to power, but the commitment to democracy and pan-European values remained unchanged. All this was nullified when the FIDESZ-KDNP coalition led by V. Orban came to power in 2010, which led to the collapse of democracy and the slide into autocracy. This ruling coalition won parliamentary elections four times and received a constitutional majority in the State Assembly. Therefore, many political scientists in Ukraine and Hungary were sure that this political force, headed by V. Orban, will be in power for a long time, since there is no real, strong opposition in the country.

However, the events of the beginning of 2024 demonstrated something completely different. A new actor appeared on the Hungarian political scene, with a new political party that gave hope for the possible removal of Orbán’s authoritarian regime from power. That hope was Peter Magyar, a Hungarian politician and lawyer who attracted considerable attention as one of the main opponents of Viktor Orbán. Previously, he worked in various government institutions, including the position of chairman of the national structure that distributed student loans.

Magyar rose to prominence in February 2024 when he spoke out strongly against Orbán’s government, revealing information about corruption among high-ranking officials. His public statements and interviews quickly gained popularity, which led to the creation of a new political party, “Tysa”. The party managed to quickly attract the support of a large part of the population, disappointed with the actions of the Orbán government.

Magyar positions himself as a centrist and advocates fighting corruption, improving the health care system, modernizing education and unifying the polarized Hungarian society. His political activities include active use of social media and participation in mass events and protests. He also announced his intention to join the center-right European People’s Party (EPP).

In the elections to the European Parliament in 2024, the Tisza party under the leadership of Peter Magyar achieved significant success, receiving 30% of the vote and 7 seats in the European Parliament. This result was an indicator of the growing influence of the opposition in Hungary and evidence of significant disillusionment among voters with Viktor Orbán’s policies. These achievements indicate that Tisza is becoming a powerful political force capable of influencing the political landscape of Hungary and challenging the ruling FIDESZ-KDNP coalition.