Europe Day 2026: The End of the Orbán Era

The date was chosen deliberately: On Europe Day itself, Hungary’s new parliament convenes today – marking the end of a political era. (For me as well.) Viktor Orbán is stepping down. After sixteen years, a new prime minister will take the oath of office for the first time.

Peter Magyar is inheriting a country with a ruined economy and a hollowed-out rule of law. The challenges are immense. But the new government has both the political power and the will to tackle them.

Magyar and his team have already met with European Commission representatives multiple times. I’m not aware of any other government that has prepared so intensively for a transition of power before even taking office. This isn’t surprising, of course. There’s a lot at stake – around €17 billion in EU funds for Hungary remain frozen.

These EU funds can only be released once the rule of law in Hungary is restored. This won’t happen overnight. An independent judiciary must be reinstated in practice, not just on paper. The same applies to the fight against corruption. How quickly democratic standards and genuine separation of powers return depends not only on the new government’s determination but also on how fiercely Orbán’s network defends its influence. Many of his loyalists still hold key positions. They could block reforms and ensure Orbán’s system endures – even without Orbán.

In the final days of the old government, an extraordinary scene unfolded: Officials and functionaries of the Fidesz apparatus are said to have frantically destroyed documents. Files that could reveal years of corruption or close ties to Russia were reportedly shredded en masse.

But the public noticed the hasty disposal. Citizens found sacks full of shredded paper discarded by the ministries. Now, there are already initiatives working to piece the documents back together – word by word, sentence by sentence, page by page. Puzzling for democracy.

This is also how you could describe Peter Magyar’s task: reassembling a rule of law that has been systematically dismantled over the years. Piece by piece.