Originally published by Deutsche Welle
Conservative Peter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister on Saturday.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza partydefeated Viktor Orban’s right-wing populist Fideszby a landslide last month, ending his 16-year rule.
“Hungarian people have given us a mandate to put an end to decades of drifting,” Magyar said. “They have given us a mandate to open a new chapter in Hungary’s history. Not only to change the government, but to change the system as well. To start again.”
Hundreds of people gathered outside parliament to watch the swearing-in ceremony on big screens.
What changes has Magyar promised?
Magyar’s Tisza party won 141 of parliament’s 199 seats in the April elections, giving it the two-thirds majority needed to change the constitution and push through reforms.
The 45-year-old has pledged to tackle corruption andundo policies enacted under Orbanto control the judiciary, the media and other sectors.
He has also vowed to repair ties with the EU. Relations between the NATO member and the bloc were strained under Orban,who moved closer to Moscowand opposed EU efforts to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
Magyar inherits an economy that only just emerged from stagnation in the first quarter and is now coming under pressure from surgingenergy costsrelated to the war in the Middle East.
One of his first tasks as prime ministerwill be trying to unblock billions of euros in suspended EU funding to help kickstart the economy. The money was frozen during Orban’s time in office due concerns about rule of law and corruption in Hungary.
Also on Saturday, the EU flag was raised on the parliament building in Budapest for the first time since Orban removed it in 2014.
Hungary’s election victor Peter Magyar faces major hurdles
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Edited by: Karl Sexton
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