Insider to rival: how Magyar became Orbán’s most serious challenger

In just two years, Péter Magyar has grown from a virtually unknown figure in Hungarian politics to becoming the biggest threat to the Fidesz Party – his former political home – and its 16-year uninterrupted stretch in government.

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Magyar burst into prominence in 2024 as the government faced a presidential pardon scandal that involved a child abuser’s accomplice. Prior to that, he was raised in a conservative family and was anything but an outsider when it came to the politics of of Fidesz.

Born into a family of conservatives

Born into a family of prominent conservatives, his grandfather was well-known TV personality and lawyer Pál Erőss, while his godfather Ferenc Mádl was the President of Hungary. Magyar received his degree from the law faculty of Pázmány Péter Catholic University in 2004.

While at university, he befriended Gergely Gulyás, now Minister of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s office. Gulyás introduced Magyar to Judit Varga, with whom he had three children after marrying her in 2006. Varga later became the country’s justice minister under Orbán.

After being sent to Brussels by the Orbán government to serve as a diplomat dealing with EU affairs, the family moved back to Hungary in 2018. Magyar was appointed to the board of directors of state-owned road operation and maintenance company Magyar Közút ZRT. He later became head of of the government’s student loan provider and was on the board of several other state companies.

He and Judit Varga, who became justice minister during that period, divorced in 2023.

It all started with an interview

Magyar was largely unknown to the public until a scandal broke out in early 2024, where the pardoning of a convicted child abuser’s accomplice led to the resignation of the president as well as Varga’s retirement from politics.

The Fidesz Party blamed Varga, who signed the pardon decision in her capacity as justice minister.

Péter Magyar was so outraged that he took to Facebook within hours and spoke out against the Orbán government. From that moment onwards, his relationship with the party was turned on its head.

His post accused the government of widespread corruption and outlined abuses which he had personally witnessed, such as being forced to favour people close to Orbán during his time as head of the national student loan provider.

He subsequently did an interview with online channel Partizán, an event which is credited with playing a major role in his fast-growing popularity.

Péter Magyar became so popular, in fact, that within a matter of days he organised a rally in Budapest on Andrássy Avenue which attracted tens of thousands.

Capitalising on his newfound support, he took over the previously unknown Tisza Party and ran as a candidate in the 2024 European Parliament elections. He won a seat as MEP, with Tisza finishing second behind the ruling coalition.

The result of that election showed that Hungarian voters appeared to have become increasingly disillusioned with other opposition parties, which Magyar referred to as “old opposition”.

Scandals and accusations did little to hurt Magyar’s rise

A number of allegations have been made against at him since then, including accusations of domestic abuse from his former wife, spying and drug consumption. A document was recently posted by media online, claiming to be the Tisza Party’s tax programme, but its authenticity was never confirmed.

In a bizarre incident that took place in February this year, Magyar said he was blackmailed by government figures with a sex tape showing him and his former partner, secretly recorded in a Budapest flat in 2024. Fidesz representatives denied the claim.

Nevertheless, polls indicate that Magyar’s popularity has been largely unaffected.

The Tisza president has made a point of travelling extensively to meet voters, positioning himself as different to out-of-touch opponents. Towards the end of the election campaign, he spoke in seven cities within a single day.

Magyar has promised to improve public services in the country, and undertake reforms that will unfreeze billions of Euros that the EU had allocated for Hungary.

His position on LGBTQ issues is vague, while his views on immigration are even stricter than Orban’s as he has said he would end the government’s guest worker programme. He is generally distrustful of the media, and often clashes with them.

Overall, his promise to voters is simple: a functioning country with a Western identity and Christian-conservative politics, but without what he calls the corruption of Fidesz.