Lívia Benko
Living with the Aftermath of Orbánism
Hungary’s Struggle to Rebuild the State
AIES Comment 2026/3
27.04.2026 / Europäische Union
Hungary’s 2026 parliamentary election marks a decisive political turning point, as Péter Mag-yar and his Tisza movement re-moved Viktor Orbán from power after sixteen years of rule. This outcome is widely interpreted as both a major domestic shift in a positive direction and a development with broader European implications. The Tisza Party secured 141 seats in the 199-member National Assembly, exceeding ear-lier projections and achieving the two-thirds supermajority required for constitutional reform. This creates a rare institutional opportunity to reverse previous governance reforms and realign Hungary with the European Union. However, dis-mantling the deeply entrenched political and economic system built under Orbán is expected to be complex and gradual rather than immediate.
