Who is Peter Magyar who defeated Victor Orban?

Peter Magyar, 45, is a conservative politician and lawmakers in the European Parliament. He became the main challenger of Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary after his split from the coalition with the ruling party, Fidesz, in 2024, and threatened to oust Orban from office in Sunday's general elections, which he achieved tonight by taking parliamentary elections seriously.

Magyar, who studied justice, was a slightly recognised member of Orban's party for more than two decades, serving as diplomat in Brussels and holding high positions in state agencies. He was married to Jude Varga, a leading figure of Fidesz, until 2023.

Magyar became famous in 2024 after being separated from Orban because of a political scandal caused by the findings that a man convicted of covering sexual abuse in a child home was forgiven. That year, Magyar created Tisza, a new political movement that won 30 per cent of the vote in Hungary during the European Parliament elections.

His campaign has been driven mainly by widespread public anger over corruption, particularly the misuse of billions of euros from EU funds, and concern for Hungary's slow economic growth. He has pledged to improve relations with the European Union, which has blocked Hungary's development funds amid claims that Orban has undermined democratic institutions.

Magyar has focused on living standards and issues like Hungary's ruined health care system. But he has avoided issues such as LGBTQ rights and has kept silent about stopping Krenaria's parade in Budapest last year. And while he has criticised the 3 Orban anim to Russia, stressing Moscow's long history of harassment by Hungary, he has avoided talking about the war in Ukraine.