Viktor Orbán has consolidated control over approximately 80% of Hungarian media, alongside capturing the Supreme Court, lower courts, and key government agencies. He has enriched himself and his family while creating a network of loyal oligarchs, most notably his childhood friend, a former gas industry worker now worth over €5 billion through the redirection of EU funds.
Breaking this entrenched system will be a challenge for Magyar.
It is amazing what parliamentary control can do if the party in control is willing to use that power. I hope Magyar actually bothers to exploit his victory.
Anyone know anything about the new guy? It’s almost surprising that Orbán was willing to concede.
From the Guardian
“What else was I supposed to do short of assasinating the guy?”
I know that this sounds crazy, considering how world leaders usually behave nowadays, but it is possible that he was just kind of tired of being in charge and thinks that Magyar (who does share the vast majority of Orban’s values) is a decent enough replacement who won’t start any corruption court cases against him.
Magyar confirmed in his victory speech that he will in fact start those cases.
Or rather the independent juicidary and the new “National Wealth Reclamation Agency” will.
My money is on a nominal sentence of very flexible house arrest. Or Orban bounces and retires happily to some other country where they don’t care to chase him.
If he does that, he will lose the support of his whole party. We’ve done that once before, that’s how we ended up in this mess.
At least he knows when he’s beaten, that’s worth some credit.
Some people never accept it.
Still conservative, but EU-favorable instead of deliberately obstructionist. It’s definitely a heavy blow to Putin, because this might pave the way for meaningful long-term support (or goodness, perhaps even future EU membership) to reach Ukraine.
Edit: Tangential, but this election has me wondering why I haven’t seen much online discourse trying to shame voters for supporting Tisza when they could have voted for the Workers’ Party, DK, or the Greens.
He has belonged to the same nationalistic party as Orban, but he’s more friendly towards EU rather than Russia. It’s an improvement for the European alliance at least.
It’s actually a good question, he wants wealth taxes and term limits, but waves Hungarian flags around and quotes Reagan.
He’s a hardline pro-EU nationalist who likes socialist policies and hates rich people.
He is a bit more moderate, not a huge difference.
He made promises of dragging them all through the justice system for corruption and embezzlement. People voted for him because they want to see consequences. I hope it happens.
So shines a ray of light in this otherwise dreary world…
Even after “JD” “Vance” went to bat for him?
Aw, sad.
It’s a good thing Vance went. I don’t think I could have handled an Orban win, so I’m grateful for Vance’s contribution.
Vance really fucked the couch on this one.
nice, I hope Belarus is next.
🎵 this is the youth of a Nation 🎶
many more should followThe new minister president is called Magyar? Well done as always, Kojima…
First Iran, now this? Couch fucker is on a streak right now.
How much damage did he do while in?
