Viktor Orbán steps down from Hungarian parliament after landslide defeat

Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has announced he will not take up his parliamentary seat following his party's significant defeat in the recent elections.

Orbán's nationalist Fidesz party was reduced from 135 seats to 52 in the 199-seat parliament.

Despite being re-elected as an MP on the proportional representation list, Orbán stated in a video message that he will return his parliamentary mandate to focus on reorganizing the patriotic movement outside parliament.

The Fidesz parliamentary group will be led by Gergely Gulyás, the minister overseeing the prime minister's office.

The opposition, led by Péter Magyar's Tisza party, won more than a two-thirds majority, paving the way for a reset of Hungary's domestic policies and international relations.

Magyar has promised to reverse Orbán-era changes in education and health, tackle corruption, restore judicial independence, and dismantle the patronage system known as NER.

This political shift marks the end of Orbán's 16-year rule and signals a potential change in Hungary's alignment with the European Union and neighboring countries.

Orbán had been a prominent figure in Hungarian politics since 1990 and served as prime minister since 2010.

During the campaign, Tisza supporters frequently chanted "Russians go home," reflecting a move away from Orbán's previous alignment with leaders such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

#ViktorOrbán #Fidesz #PéterMagyar #Tiszaparty #Hungary #parliamentaryelections