Hungary’s new prime minister Magyar says he could take office in early May

The leader of the Hungarian opposition and winner of the elections, Péter Magyar, stated this Wednesday (15) that the country’s president indicated that the new government could take office in the first week of May. The accelerated deadline would mark the end of Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power. After the significant victory of the center-right party Tisza in the elections on Sunday (12), with two thirds of the seats in Parliament, Magyar has been pushing for the transition to take place as quickly as possible. Under Hungarian law, the inaugural session of the new Parliament — which must elect the prime minister — must take place by May 12. READ ALSO: Who is Péter Magyar, Viktor Orbán’s opponent who won parliamentary elections in Hungary After a private meeting with President Tamás Sulyok, Magyar told journalists, in front of the presidential palace, that he received the guarantee that he will be nominated for the post of prime minister. According to him, the inaugural session should take place on May 6th or 7th. “(The president) thinks, and I think everyone thinks, that it is in the interests of the Hungarian nation that, after such an expressive mandate from voters, the change of government and regime happens as quickly as possible,” he stated. Magyar promised to promote a broad reform in the government structure and create specific ministries for health, environment and education, areas that did not have their own portfolios under Orbán’s administration. In his first appearance on the country’s public broadcaster in almost two years, also this Wednesday, he said he intends to suspend the channel’s news programs — which, according to him, function as a mouthpiece for Orbán’s Fidesz party — until conditions of independence and impartiality are created. “One of the key points of our program is that this factory of lies will end when the Tisza government is formed,” he declared. Magyar also asked that the current government act only on an interim basis in the coming weeks and avoid decisions that could harm the country’s interests or hinder the new administration. He further stated that he requested the president to resign after the formation of the new government. According to Magyar, Sulyok said he will “consider” the request. “I repeated to him that he is unworthy of representing the unity of the Hungarian nation and unfit to be the guardian of the law,” he said. Magyar added that, if the president does not resign, the new government intends to promote constitutional changes to remove him “along with all the other puppets installed by the Orbán system.” With a two-thirds supermajority in Parliament, the Tisza party will have the power to amend the Constitution and review several policies implemented by Orbán.

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