As Hungary’s new PM, Magyar’s hunt for Orban’s protégés has already begun
Key takeaways
- Peter Magyar had only been Hungary’s prime minister for a few minutes on Saturday before he turned to the country’s president, renewing calls for him to resign.
- By: Louise NORDSTROM Peter Magyar delivers his first speech after having been sworn in as Hungary's prime minister in the parliament in Budapest, on May 9, 2026.
- He then renewed his calls for President Tamas Salyok to resign, alongside a string of other Orban-appointed figures occupying key judicial and oversight bodies.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Peter Magyar had only been Hungary’s prime minister for a few minutes on Saturday before he turned to the country’s president, renewing calls for him to resign. The move is the clearest sign yet that the new leader intends to make good on his promise to rid the country of Viktor Orban’s vast network of loyalists. Analysts say those who benefited from the former system should be “very afraid”.
By: Louise NORDSTROM Peter Magyar delivers his first speech after having been sworn in as Hungary's prime minister in the parliament in Budapest, on May 9, 2026. © ©Bernadett Szabo, Reuters When 45-year-old Peter Magyar took to the podium in parliament on Saturday to deliver his first speech as Hungary’s new prime minister, he had one message: the Viktor Orban era – and the network of loyalists who helped sustain it – was over.
He then renewed his calls for President Tamas Salyok to resign, alongside a string of other Orban-appointed figures occupying key judicial and oversight bodies. “It’s time to leave with some dignity, while it’s possible,” Magyar said, handing them a May 31 deadline to do so.