Viktor Orbán, the long-serving Hungarian Prime Minister, has officially announced he will not assume his seat in parliament following a decisive electoral defeat that brought his 16-year rule to an end.
Despite being re-elected as an MP on his party's proportional representation list, the 62-year-old leader stated he is shifting his focus toward the reorganization of his nationalist movement. The election saw his Fidesz party plummet from 135 seats to just 52, while the Tisza party, led by former insider Péter Magyar, secured a two-thirds majority.
Orbán, who has been a central figure in Hungarian politics since 1990, cited a need to focus on party leadership rather than parliamentary duties. The shift in power marks a significant turning point for the nation, as the incoming administration has pledged to dismantle the existing patronage systems and pivot away from Orbán's foreign policy alignments.
Gergely Gulyás is set to lead the Fidesz parliamentary bloc as the party prepares for a leadership conference in June to determine its future direction.
With the new parliament scheduled to convene on May 9, the incoming government has promised a swift reversal of many policies enacted during the Orbán era, including reforms to the judiciary, education, and healthcare sectors.
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