"Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar launched his party's election campaign in Budapest on Sunday, vowing to end the 16-year rule of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, tackle corruption and reorientate Hungary back towards western Europe. Magyar, a former influential member of Orban's nationalist Fidesz party, took over leadership of the center-right Tisza party in 2024 and quickly established himself as the biggest challenge to Orban in over a decade."
"A 44-year-old former lawyer, Magyar has accused Orban's right-wing populist government of mismanaging Hungary's economy and social services, and of allowing corruption to run riot, leaving Hungary one of the poorest countries in the European Union. "Not only has the Hungarian economy not taken off; it has hit a dead end," he said. He has also criticized Orban's antagonism towards the EU and continuing proximity to Russian President Vladimir Putin despite Russia's ongoing invasion of neighboring Ukraine."
"After holding meetings with several European leaders at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) over the weekend, he said he would put an end to Hungary's "drift out of the European Union" under Orban. "Hungary's place is in Europe," he said. "Not only because Hungary needs Europe, but also because Europe needs Hungary." However, he also reiterated that a Tisza government would continue to oppose any accelerated Ukrainian accession to the EU and retain a border fence erected by Orban in 2015 as part"
Peter Magyar launched his party's election campaign in Budapest, vowing to end Viktor Orban's 16-year rule, tackle corruption and reorient Hungary toward Western Europe. Magyar, a 44-year-old former lawyer and ex-Fidesz member, took over the center-right Tisza party in 2024 and emerged as the main challenger to Orban. Tisza, derived from Hungarian words for respect and freedom, won around 30% in June 2024 European Parliament elections and leads most independent polls ahead of the April 12 vote. Magyar accuses Orban of economic mismanagement, social-service failures and rampant corruption, criticizes Orban's EU antagonism and Russian proximity, while opposing accelerated Ukrainian EU accession and supporting retention of the 2015 border fence.
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