Orbán steps down from Hungarian parliament after landslide defeat

Hungary’s long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced he will not take up his parliamentary seat following a decisive defeat in the recent general election that ended his 16-year rule. Although re-elected as an MP on Fidesz’s proportional representation list, Orbán declared he would return his mandate and focus instead on reorganizing the nationalist movement outside parliament. His party, Fidesz, suffered a dramatic loss, dropping from 135 to 52 seats in the 199-seat National Assembly, while the opposition alliance led by Péter Magyar secured more than a two-thirds majority. The election outcome marks a significant political shift in Hungary, with Magyar’s coalition pledging to reverse many of Orbán’s policies. The incoming government has committed to restoring judicial independence, combating corruption, and dismantling the patronage system known as NER, which critics say enriched party loyalists at the expense of public resources. Magyar has also promised reforms in education and healthcare, signaling a departure from Orbán’s nationalist and often confrontational approach, especially regarding Hungary’s relations with the European Union and Russia. Orbán’s tenure was characterized by a consolidation of power and alignment with figures such as former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, public dissatisfaction grew amid allegations of corruption and declining living standards, contributing to his party’s electoral collapse. Magyar’s victory has been welcomed by many in Hungary and Europe as a potential reset in the country’s domestic and foreign policies, with the new parliament scheduled to convene on May 9. Meanwhile, Orbán’s future role within Fidesz will be determined at a party conference in June, as he vows to continue influencing the nationalist movement from outside the legislature.