Magyar Sworn In as Hungary's Prime Minister on Promises of Change

Hungary entered a historic new political era as Péter Magyar was sworn in as prime minister on Saturday, ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule after a landslide election victory by the centre-right Tisza party .

Magyar’s party secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority, winning 141 seats in the 199-member National Assembly and delivering the strongest election result by any party in Hungary’s post-Communist history. Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP alliance was reduced to 52 seats, while the far-right Mi Hazánk party won six seats.

In his inaugural speech, the 45-year-old lawyer promised to restore democratic institutions , strengthen judicial independence, tackle corruption and rebuild Hungary’s strained ties with the European Union . He said Hungarians had voted not simply for a change of government, but for a “change of system.”

Thousands gathered at Budapest’s Kossuth Square for a “regime-change celebration,” waving Hungarian and EU flags as giant screens broadcast the parliamentary ceremony. A symbolic moment came when the EU flag was raised again on Parliament for the first time since 2014.

Celebrations also drew global attention after Zsolt Hegedűs , Hungary’s incoming health minister and popularly known as the country’s “dancing politician,” repeated his now-viral dance performance outside Parliament. Videos of the impromptu dance spread rapidly across social media platforms, adding a festive tone to the political transition.

Magyar pledged to unlock nearly EUR 17 billion in frozen EU funds, reduce Hungary’s dependence on Russia, reform state media, and establish a National Asset Recovery Office to investigate alleged misuse of public money during the Orbán era. Financial markets reacted positively, with Hungary’s currency strengthening sharply following the transition.