“He failed us. He failed his country. He hoodwinked us,” Gyárfás Oláh, a former Orbán enthusiast and ex-local mayor, told me wearily.
Amongst Magyar’s voters are significant numbers of Hungarians who voted against Orbán rather than for Magyar himself. He’s not yet tried-and-tested in government.
So who is he? What kind of prime minister will he be at home, or as an interlocutor for Hungary’s allies abroad?
Well, he’s an energetic (on the campaign trail he appeared at four to six rallies a day), smart and telegenic 45-year-old, formerly from Orbán’s party Fidesz. This means that, like Orbán, he’s a conservative nationalist. He loves to carry a Hungarian flag with him to any and every political event.
Arguably Hungarian voters needed a centre-right candidate to unite around before they considered turning their back on Orbán. Hungary is a socially conservative country. You can expect Orbán’s anti-migration attitudes to continue under the new government, for example.
Magyar has, though, promised sweeping reforms “to roll back the Orbán regime”, including weakening ties with Russia and rebuilding bridges with Europe.
For now, most Hungarians say their priorities are domestic: improving their country’s sagging economy and public services, lowering inflation and the cost of living. There’s a lot to do.
Grinning with happiness late on Sunday, surrounded by jubilant supporters, Magyar told the crowds: “Tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow, we get to work!”
Magyar won’t officially become prime minister until Hungary’s president asks him to form a government. That’s expected to happen in roughly a month’s time.
