Hungary Faces 'Full-On Regime Change' to Dismantle Orban Legacy, Former Minister Says
Hungary is embarking on a sweeping transformation to undo the illiberal system built over 16 years under outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a process that former education minister Balint Magyar described as far more than a routine political transition. "Restoring the rule of law in Hungary is not just a political transition but a full-on regime change," Magyar told France 24.
Magyar, who served as education minister and authored a study on Orban-era state capture, said the effort will require dismantling the institutional structures that concentrated power under Orban's leadership. The reforms extend beyond policy changes to include legal accountability for the outgoing administration's inner circle.
Trials of Orban Loyalists
A central component of the transition involves prosecuting some of Orban's most prominent allies. Hungarian authorities plan to bring high-profile loyalists to trial, according to France 24, signaling a break from the impunity that critics said characterized the previous government.
The trials represent a direct challenge to the network of political and business figures who benefited from Orban's system of state capture, where state institutions were repurposed to serve party and personal interests. Magyar's research documented how this system eroded judicial independence, media freedom, and anti-corruption safeguards.
Institutional Overhaul
The regime change Magyar described requires rebuilding independent institutions that were hollowed out during Orban's tenure. This includes restoring the autonomy of the judiciary, which was subjected to political interference through early retirements of judges and the creation of a new court administration body loyal to the government.
Media regulators, the constitutional court, and the public prosecutor's office all face restructuring to remove Orban-era appointees and reestablish checks on executive power. The European Union has withheld billions of euros in funding to Hungary over rule-of-law concerns, adding financial urgency to the reforms.
Election Aftermath
Orban's Fidesz party lost power in the 2026 elections, ending a governing streak that began in 2010. The transition marks the first time Hungary will attempt to reverse the illiberal turn that Orban championed as a model for conservative populism across Europe.
Magyar's assessment underscores the scale of the challenge: reversing 16 years of constitutional changes, media consolidation, and patronage networks requires coordinated action across multiple branches of government. The former minister said the process will test whether Hungary's new leadership can deliver on promises to rejoin mainstream European democratic norms.
The reforms come as neighboring Slovakia faces warnings from European Parliament members that it risks losing EU funds if it follows Orban's path, according to Euobserver. That parallel highlights the broader European stakes in Hungary's experiment with democratic restoration.