Even if he wins the April elections, Hungary’s opposition leader will face a system of obstacles deliberately built to protect Orbán’s power, Politico warns.
Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, is reportedly gaining significant support ahead of Hungary’s parliamentary elections. Yet even in victory, the young politician will find himself navigating a complex legal and political landscape carefully shaped by Viktor Orbán over his years in power.
As Politico notes, Hungary’s current power structure is designed so that a change of prime minister does not automatically mean a change of course. Key state institutions — from the judiciary to the Central Bank and regulatory bodies — are staffed with Orbán loyalists, many appointed to long-term positions.
Beyond institutional barriers, any new government will have to contend with constitutional provisions adopted under Orbán that limit the executive’s room to manoeuvre, as well as a sprawling network of allies embedded in business and regional elites. All of this makes any genuine attempt at systemic reform an enormously difficult task — even with a parliamentary majority.