Hungarian Parliament Elects Péter Magyar as Prime Minister
“We are launching a review of Hungary’s constitutional system; we will strengthen the system of checks and balances, and we will propose a limit on the number of terms a prime minister can serve,” the prime minister announced in his first remarks in his new role.
Hungary’s freshly sworn-in prime minister, Péter Magyar delivers his first remarks as PM in the Hungarian parliament on May 9, 2026.
ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP
“We are launching a review of Hungary’s constitutional system; we will strengthen the system of checks and balances, and we will propose a limit on the number of terms a prime minister can serve,” the prime minister announced in his first remarks in his new role.
The Hungarian Parliament elected Tisza Party leader Péter Magyar as Hungary’s new prime minister on Saturday, May 9th.
Before Magyar’s election and swearing in, the newly elected House Speaker, Tisza nominee Ágnes Forsthoffer, ordered the restoration of the European Union flag to the Parliament building after a 12-year hiatus under Fidesz’ president of the chamber László Kövér.
The new prime minister was elected with 140 votes in favour, 54 against, and one abstention. MPs rose to applaud the result, while supporters gathered in Budapest’s Kossuth Square erupted in cheers.
In his remarks following his swearing in, Magyar described the coming period as one focused on confronting the past and ensuring accountability. “Justice can only come after facing the truth,” he declared, reiterating his campaign promise of holding those government and public officials who committed any crimes in the Orbán era accountable. He added democratic renewal cannot be built on “silenced crimes.”
Magyar said Hungarians had a right to know how public funds had been transformed into “private wealth, privileges and political pressure” over the years. He announced that one of the first bills submitted by the new parliamentary majority would establish the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, tasked with investigating alleged abuses from the past two decades.
“We are launching a review of Hungary’s constitutional system; we will strengthen the system of checks and balances, and we will propose a limit on the number of terms a prime minister can serve,” the prime minister announced in his remarks.
He also repeated his demand that all public officials who “served” the previous “regime resign: “Here and now, in the House of Hungarian Democracy, I call on those public officials who served the previous regime to resign today, or by May 31 at the latest, starting with President Tamás Sulyok.”
Addressing now-opposition Fidesz lawmakers, Magyar said he respected the decision of voters who had supported them, but stressed that they bore “historic responsibility” in future votes concerning state transparency and asset recovery measures.
“I will not rule; I will serve my country,” the new prime minister pledged, and concluded his speech by saying, “God bless Hungary, and God bless every Hungarian at home and around the world.”
