Orbán steps down from Hungarian parliament after landslide defeat

Orbán said the party's parliamentary bloc would be led from Monday by Gulyás Gergely, who had previously served as the minister overseeing the prime minister's office.

Orbán said his fate as Fidesz leader would be decided at a party conference in June.

Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, pledged to reverse Orbán-era changes to education and health, tackle corruption, restore the independence of the judiciary and dismantle the NER patronage system; he also signalled a desire for more cordial ties with Brussels and Kyiv.

The new parliament is due to hold its first session on 9 May 2026.

Viktor Orbán releases a video statement saying he will not take up his seat in parliament and instead will focus on reorganising the patriotic movement; he says the mandate he obtained as lead candidate is a parliamentary mandate of Fidesz and he will return it.

In the 12 April vote for Hungary's 199-seat parliament, Fidesz-KDNP's seats dropped from 135 to 52, while Péter Magyar's Tisza party won more than a two-thirds majority. The result paves the way for a reset of domestic policies and Hungary's international relationships. Campaign context included voter unhappiness over corruption allegations and slipping living standards; supporters reportedly chanted 'Russians go home' during the campaign.