Viktor Orbán Resigns from Hungarian Parliament Following Sweeping Election Loss

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced his decision to step down from parliament after his party, Fidesz, suffered a decisive defeat in the April 12 election. The loss ended his 16-year tenure as head of government. In a social media video statement released Saturday evening, Orbán stated,

“I am now needed not in parliament, but in the reorganisation of the patriotic movement.”

Fidesz, which previously held 135 seats, now controls just 52 in the 199-seat legislature. Despite this, Orbán retained his parliamentary seat through the party’s proportional representation list. The opposition Tisza party, led by former Fidesz insider Péter Magyar, secured a majority exceeding two-thirds, setting the stage for a new political direction. This shift is expected to reshape Hungary’s domestic policies and its international standing.

Orbán, 62, revealed that Gergely Gulyás would take over the parliamentary bloc starting Monday. Gulyás, currently the minister overseeing the prime minister’s office, will lead the Fidesz parliamentary group. Orbán explained,

“The mandate I obtained as the lead candidate of the Fidesz-KDNP list is, in fact, a parliamentary mandate of Fidesz. For this reason, I have decided to return it.”

Hungary’s electoral system divides seats between proportional representation and individual constituencies. Orbán has held a seat under either method since 1990, guiding Fidesz through the years. He became prime minister in 2010, establishing himself as the dominant political figure in the country. However, public discontent over corruption claims and falling living standards caused widespread voter rejection of his leadership.

The new prime minister has vowed to undo Orbán-era reforms in education and healthcare, address corruption, and restore judicial independence. They also aim to dismantle the NER patronage system, which critics argue enriched party loyalists and mismanaged state funds. Tisza supporters, during the campaign, repeatedly called for “Russians go home,” reflecting their opposition to Orbán’s alignment with Russia and the U.S.

Magyar has pledged to strengthen ties with the EU and Ukraine, rather than maintaining Orbán’s previous stance. The newly elected parliament will begin its first session on May 9. Meanwhile, Orbán’s future as Fidesz leader remains uncertain, with a party conference in June set to determine his role in the movement’s reorganisation.