Here’s how Hungary’s prime minister lost his grip after 16 years in power.
Orban lost public trust
Orbán’s downfall began in 2024, when the government pardoned the former deputy director of a children’s home, who was convicted of concealing child sexual abuse.
The resulting scandal prompted Magyar – then a mid-level civil servant and Fidesz member – to stage a public revolt against the prime minister, bringing thousands of protesters into the streets. His media attack included releasing an audio recording of his wife Judit Varga, who was recently removed from her post as Justice Minister, describing alleged government interference in the case.
The allegations tarnished Fidesz’s image as a defender of children. “This has created a moral crisis of moral government,” said Peter Craco, director of the independent political consultancy Political Capital. “Since then, we can almost understand that whatever the government does, whatever the government says, it has little impact on the public.”
Orban lost the ground game
Magyar used the 2024 amnesty scandal as a springboard for the European Parliament elections that year. After several protests, he began a nationwide tour, visiting Hungarian villages, towns and cities to break Fidesz’s control over the country’s media, and won seven of the 21 seats in the European Parliament.
This year, after Magyar launched another tour, Orbán began one of his own, his first series of public rallies after years of staging tightly controlled, closed-door events. Not only did he fail to organize as many people as the Magyars, but he often faced counter-protesters.
