The Conversation Weekly

How former insider Péter Magyar ousted Hungary’s Viktor Orbán

April 16, 2026·31 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

For 16 years, Viktor Orbán built an illiberal democracy in Hungary. Orbán and his Fidesz party managed to take control of many of Hungary's levers of power, from the judiciary to state-owned media, and weakened the institutions that could keep them accountable. Now, his regime has been ended by a former Fidesz insider, Péter Magyar, who managed to unite Hungarians to secure a two-third majority in the country's parliament.So how did Peter Magyar manage to beat his former boss? And what does Magyar's victory mean for the European Union, where Orbán was a belligerent, pro-Russian voice at the leaders' table.We speak to Zsolt Enyedi, professor of political science at the Central European University and an expert in Hungarian politics.This episode was produced by Mend Mariwany and Katie Flood. Gemma Ware was the host and executive producer. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Read the full credits for this episode and sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation.He exposed corruption and walked across Hungary. Now Péter Magyar has defeated a powerful state machineWhat Viktor Orbán’s election loss means for Putin, Trump and the rise of right-wing populismViktor Orbán’s election loss shows the limits of his propaganda machineMentioned in this episode:Voices of the South

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