Peter Magyar speaks to the media in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday, after defeating Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party in the country's parliamentary elections.Denes Erdos/The Associated Press
A day after his landslide victory, Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar offered strong support for the European Union and hinted that he would not block a €90-billion EU aid package for Ukraine.
Mr. Magyar’s Tisza movement won more than two-thirds of the seats in Sunday’s election, ending Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s 16 years in power. His win is seen as a huge boost to the EU, which has viewed Mr. Orban as a roadblock to many initiatives and a strong backer of Russia.
Mr. Magyar told reporters Monday that he wants to work constructively within the bloc. “We shall have debates, but we are not going there to fight so that we can fight,” he said.
He signalled that he was supportive of the EU loan to Ukraine as long as Hungary continued to be exempt from contributing funds. Last December the EU agreed to exclude Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic because all three face financial difficulties. The package still requires the consent of all 27 member states, but Mr. Orban refused to sign off.
“The issue should not be reopened, but implemented as agreed in December,” Mr. Magyar said.
Hungarian election winner Peter Magyar promised a beginning of a new era during an international news conference after his Tisza party's victory in Budapest on Monday.
The Associated Press
The Tisza leader was less supportive of fast-tracking Ukraine’s membership in the EU, saying it should follow the same process as other countries. “It would be impossible for a country at war to be taken by the EU.”
His primary objective will be urging the bloc to unlock nearly €20-billion in funding that has been frozen by Brussels because of Mr. Orban’s systematic undermining of Hungary’s democratic institutions. Mr. Magyar plans to visit Brussels soon and hopes for a quick decision.
Mr. Orban has long been seen as the most pro-Russian EU leader. On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stopped short of congratulating Mr. Magyar but said Moscow respected the result. “The Hungarians have made their choice. We respect this choice. We expect to continue our highly pragmatic contacts with the new leadership of Hungary,” he said.
Mr. Magyar said he also wants a pragmatic relationship with Russia.
“With Russia you cannot change geography,” he said, adding that he would not be calling Russian President Vladimir Putin, but if Mr. Putin calls, “I will pick up the phone.”
Who is Peter Magyar, the man who ended Viktor Orban’s 16-year rule in Hungary?
He said he would urge him to stop the war in Ukraine. “Ukraine is the victim in this war,” he said, adding that he believed Russia represented a security risk.
He also pledged to lessen Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil, something the EU has also been calling for. However, he said, Hungary would always seek the best option and Russian oil will likely remain in the country’s energy mix.
Mr. Orban drew strong support from U.S. President Donald Trump, who publicly endorsed the Fidesz leader during the campaign.
On Monday, Mr. Magyar said he had no plans to call Mr. Trump but wanted constructive relations with the U.S.
He campaigned on a platform to crack down on corruption and plans to set up an asset recovery office. During Monday’s news conference, he called on the country’s President, Tamas Sulyok, to immediately convene the new parliament so he can take office as soon as possible. After that, he said, Mr. Sulyok, an ally of Mr. Orban, should resign.
He also plans to introduce a law to limit prime ministers to two terms in office. The law will be applied retroactively to prevent Mr. Orban from ever serving as prime minister again.
Carney welcomes Magyar’s Hungarian election win that shifts stance on Ukraine, democracy
On Monday, Hungarians were still coming to grips with Sunday’s results, which mark a seismic shift in the country’s politics.
Until Sunday, Fidesz had won four successive elections. Mr. Orban had turned almost every public institution into an instrument of Fidesz and created what he proudly called an “illiberal state.”
Gergely Romsics, a research fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, said Mr. Magyar benefited from a number of factors.
Voters were fed up with years of fractured opposition and coalesced around Tisza in order to finally defeat Fidesz. Several parties stepped aside and cleared the way for Tisza candidates, allowing Mr. Magyar to focus his campaign exclusively on Mr. Orban.
Tisza’s win also revealed the limits of Mr. Orban’s relentless propaganda. While he searched for global enemies – including the EU and Ukraine − and used every lever of power to push his campaign platform, Mr. Magyar focused on bread-and-butter issues, which resonated more with voters.
Dr. Romsics said Mr. Orban’s defeat demonstrated the challenges populist parties face once they take power.
It’s a warning for populists in power such as Robert Fico in Slovakia and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni. But he doubted it would make much difference to populists in opposition such as the National Rally in France.
“If there is a cautionary tale, it’s probably that populism has an expiry date when it doesn’t deliver basic goods to the people.”