The man who overthrew Orban. Who is Peter Magyar – and what can gays in Hungary expect from him?

On April 13, 2026, Hungary woke up to a different country. Viktor Orbán—an ally of Putin, an enemy of the LGBTQ+ community, and an idol of the global right—lost the election by a landslide. He will be replaced by Péter Magyar, a former insider of the system who became its chief destroyer. For the queer community, this is both a victory and a big question mark.

Who is this Magyar?

Madyar is a 45-year-old lawyer, former diplomat, and former Orban loyalist who broke with the ruling Fidesz party in 2024. After that, he didn’t quietly retreat into private life—he took to the streets. Over the course of two years, Magyar traveled all over the country, speaking at rallies in large cities and small villages, sometimes visiting up to six towns a day. _PBS

The breakup was triggered by a scandal involving a presidential pardon: it came to light that President Katalin Novak had pardoned a man implicated in a case involving the cover-up of pedophilia. The pardon document was signed by Judit Varga—the former minister of justice and, at the time, Madyar’s wife. Both resigned. Madyar took it a step further—he turned the scandal into a political springboard.

After taking control of the little-known TISZA party (Tisztelet és Szabadság—“Respect and Freedom”), he quickly turned it into the country’s main opposition force. TISZA is a member of the European People’s Party—a center-right mainstream party that governs 12 of the 27 EU countries. _PBS

Defeat

По результатам подсчёта 97,35% бюллетеней, партия Мадьяра получила 138 мест в 199-местном парламенте при 53,6% голосов. Fidesz Орбана взял лишь 55 мест с 37,8%. _{Al Jazeera}

Voter turnout reached a record 77.8%—about 7.52 million Hungarians out of approximately 8.1 million eligible voters. _Xinhua For a country that the European Parliament has officially classified as a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy” since 2022, this speaks for itself.

At a celebration on the banks of the Danube, Magyar told thousands of supporters gathered there: “Today, truth has triumphed over lies.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X: “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together, we are stronger.” _{Al Jazeera}

Orbán and Gay People: A Brief History of Hate

To understand why Madyar’s victory is important for queer people, we need to remember what Orbán has been up to.

During his years in power, Orbán has carried out large-scale crackdowns on LGBTQ+ rights, culminating in a ban on Pride parades—an unprecedented move for an EU country. In 2021, a law was passed banning the “promotion” of homosexuality and gender transition among minors—under the pretext of protecting children, effectively equating LGBTQ+ people with pedophiles. In 2020, transgender people lost the right to legally change their name and gender.

Orbán, in his own words, was inciting hatred on the streets. Activist Ella Zhirka of the human rights organization Háttér Society said that a man with a knife attacked a lesbian couple holding hands on a tram and told the court he did it because “Orbán said it was the right thing to do.”

In March 2025, the Hungarian parliament passed a law explicitly banning Pride parades. Participants faced fines, and organizers faced up to one year in prison. The police were authorized to use facial recognition technology to identify attendees.

And yet—on June 28, 2025, the Budapest Pride took place despite the ban. Between 100,000 and 200,000 people took part, many of whom were attending for the first time. It was the largest anti-government demonstration in Hungary in many years.

Magyars and Gay People: Hope with Reservations

This is where the awkward conversation begins.

Magyar regularly says he supports equality—but avoids making clear statements on LGBTQ+ rights. _{France 24} When Orbán banned the Pride parade, Magyar did not take to the streets. Instead of openly supporting it, he avoided taking a public stance, shifting the focus to corruption and failures in child protection—using Fidesz’s own language, but turning it against the party itself. _{Heinrich Böll Foundation}

Why? According to Andrea Virág, director of strategy at the liberal think tank Republikon, Magyar deliberately courted conservative voters in small towns, counting on his anti-government urban base to support him regardless. _{France 24}

It worked politically. But LGBTQ+ activists are disappointed. “The main opposition doesn’t want to talk about LGBTQ+ rights, so we have to put pressure on them,” human rights activist Geza Buzás-Habel told AFP. _{France 24}

Political analysts note that Magyar does not reject conservative rhetoric—he reworks it, turning familiar themes against Fidesz. This helps him reach voters who hate Orbán but do not identify with the opposition. _ECPR The queer community ended up being a bargaining chip in this strategy.

Orbán vs. Magyar: Positions on LGBTQ+ Issues

What's next?

Mályar’s victory is not an LGBTQ+ revolution. It marks the end of a system in which homophobia was state policy. Human rights activists say that simply returning to the legal norms that existed before Orbán would be a huge step forward. _{France 24}

Magyar has secured a constitutional majority. This means he can repeal all of Orbán’s amendments—including the ban on Pride and the “propaganda” laws. Will he do so? So far, there has been no word.

According to his own statements, Madyar’s agenda for the first day includes anti-corruption measures, the establishment of an asset recovery office, joining the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), and limiting presidential terms. _{DailyNewsHungary} LGBTQ+ rights are not mentioned on this list.