Analysis
Security
The Kremlin Tests Europe’s Defences without Firing a Shot
24 September 2025
Polls suggest that Péter Magyar could seriously challenge Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the 2026 elections. This is no small feat after 15 years of uninterrupted rule. Yet what makes his rise so striking isn’t just Magyar’s popularity – it’s how much he seems to have learned from Orbán himself.
In early 2024, Hungarian politics saw a dramatic shakeup. Péter Magyar, once a loyal insider within the ruling Fidesz party and formerly married to Hungary’s then-Justice Minister, stepped into the public eye as a new political force.
To understand this political moment, one needs to understand who Viktor Orbán is. After first serving as prime minister from 1998 to 2002, Orbán returned to power in 2010 and has since built a tightly controlled system eroding democratic institutions.