
How former insider Péter Magyar ousted Hungary’s Viktor Orbán
About this episode
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 machine
- What Viktor Orbán’s election loss means for Putin, Trump and the rise of right-wing populism
- Viktor Orbán’s election loss shows the limits of his propaganda machine
Mentioned in this episode:
Voices of the South
Get every episode summarized
Each time The Conversation Weekly publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from The Conversation Weekly

China’s long game on Trump’s tariffs
The Conversation Weekly

Trump v Leo: the war of words over a just war
The Conversation Weekly

Israel’s history shapes how it wages war
The Conversation Weekly

The pseudoscientific scale looksmaxxers use to rate each other
The Conversation Weekly
