Peter Magyar: Wants Orban's Regime Gone.

Victor Orban has been in power for 16 years. Positively, on the far right of politics and a strong ally of Vladimir Putin. Hungary is a member of the European Union; however, Orban is very anti-European Union. Unlike the UK Mr. Orban did not hold a referendum to decide whether Hungary should leave the EU. Orban has been strict about who he allows into Hungary and who he does not. Orban has/had his feet in two camps, one in the European Union and one in Russia, but more so in Russia. It is best to describe Orban as an elected dictator. Such things happen in democracies when you have a popular leader who keeps getting elected over and over again. As with Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, until for whatever reason their rule comes to an end.

So Mr. Orban's time in office has come to an end. Even JD Vance, the American Vice-President who flew in to Hungary to support his re-election, couldn't save him. A young, dynamic politician, Peter Magyar, beat him in a landslide election. The time comes when people stop backing a popular leader and want change. The same happened to Winston Churchill at the end of the war. Yes, in many people's estimation, Churchill had been a good war leader, but the time had come for something different. Hence, Clement Attlee was swept to power in 1945.

The same situation now exists in Hungary. When the Hungarian people voted, they wanted something different. They saw a young man with a new political party and voted for him. Mr. Magyar is more pro-EU and says he is above both left and right. Conversely, he was a member of Orban's party. However, he fell out with Orban when he aligned himself with populism and Trumpism. Mr. Magyar left Orban's party and formed his own. Politically, pundits would still consider Magyar a Conservative. He was born into a conservative family. However, Magyar's conservatism and Orban's are in many respects miles apart. While Mr. Orban's politics would be considered far-right Mr. Magyar's policies and stances are moderate right. Make no mistake, though Mr. Magyar, like Mr. Orban, will continue the policy of not accepting migrants.

Peter Magyar is in a rush to take up his mandate as Prime Minister. He wants Viktor Orban and his regime gone. Not ifs, no buts, gone. Every vestige of Orban's rule and policies (some at least) gone. The Hungarian President's role is ceremonial. Peter Magyar met the president after his election, as is common in Western democracies, like when a new prime minister in the UK meets the sovereign, and also wants President Sulyok gone. Mr. Sulyok is a Viktor Orban supporter, so Peter Magyar does not want this president in power when he takes the reins of power. That is understandable, as he cannot work with someone as far as he is concerned with a vestige of the former regime, which Mr. Sulyok represents.

Despite being in the EU, Viktor Orban kept Hungary in the orbit of Putin's Russia. Mr. Magyar wants to sever and get rid of the influence that Putin has had over Hungary. Putin will have lost another ally and will not take too kindly to the election of Peter Magyar. Mr. Magyar will be in the sights of the Kremlin now, but unlike Ukraine, when Mr. Zelenskyy beat a pro-Russian candidate, it's doubtful Russia will take military action against Hungary as it did with Ukraine. However, that's not to say Mr. Putin will not try to cause trouble for Mr. Magyar as he becomes Hungary's prime minister.

So has Hungary turned a corner? In some ways, yes, with Mr. Magyar being liberal when it comes to some things like the EU. However, on traditional issues like the family, Christianity, and not accepting Muslim migrants, there will be no change.