Orbán steps away from parliament after historic election defeat ends 16-year rule
Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has announced he will not take up his parliamentary seat following a major election defeat that ended his long dominance in Hungarian politics.
In a video statement shared on social media, Orbán said he would instead focus on reorganising his political movement after his party, Fidesz, suffered a heavy loss to the opposition Tisza party led by Péter Magyar.
Although elected via Fidesz’s national list, Orbán said he was returning his mandate as the party undergoes a period of restructuring following its collapse from 135 seats to 52 in the 199-seat parliament.
The defeat marks a major political shift in Hungary, with Tisza securing a two-thirds majority and promising sweeping reforms across governance, public services and the judiciary.
Orbán, who has been a central figure in Hungarian politics for decades, said leadership of the Fidesz parliamentary bloc will now pass to Gergely Gulyás ahead of the new parliamentary session.
The incoming opposition government has pledged to reverse key policies of the Orbán era and rebuild relations with the European Union.
