A leading Czech political magazine has depicted former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in handcuffs next to Péter Magyar on its latest cover as it examines Hungary’s political transformation following his departure from power.
Popular magazine depicts Viktor Orbán handcuffed
The cover of Reflex, a popular Czech public affairs weekly, features Orbán handcuffed alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar. The issue contains extensive coverage of the new government’s efforts to dismantle the political structures established under Orbán and restore the rule of law.
Magyar bought a copy of the magazine during a brief visit to Prague, where he also met Oliver Adámek, a journalist specialising in Hungarian politics. Adámek presented the prime minister with a copy of his newly published book, Világoš, which examines the collapse of Orbán’s political system after 16 years in power.
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Book explores Orbán’s electoral defeat
Founded in 1990, Reflex is widely regarded as a right-wing libertarian publication. Adámek is among the Czech media’s best-known experts on Hungarian domestic politics and speaks Hungarian fluently.
An extract from his book appears in the latest issue, recounting the final days of the election campaign, including US Vice-President JD Vance’s visit and Orbán’s closing rally in Budapest. Adámek recalls sensing that the election had been decided when a large crowd gathered to welcome Magyar in Ráckeve early on the morning of 7 April, coinciding with Vance’s arrival.
The book’s title is a play on the Czech expression dostat világoš, meaning to suffer a beating or a heavy defeat. The phrase is believed to derive from the Hungarian surrender at Világos in 1849 and is used here to refer to Fidesz’s electoral defeat.
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Questions over Hungary’s democratic reforms
A second major article by Adámek examines the Magyar government’s record in dismantling the former ruling party’s political structures. It discusses changes to state institutions, efforts to replace officials appointed under Orbán, and plans to introduce an age limit for Constitutional Court judges.
However, the journalist also questions whether the government’s reforms risk concentrating power rather than restoring democratic checks and balances. He asks whether voters gave Magyar a mandate for such far-reaching constitutional changes.
Adámek argues that Magyar must now demonstrate tangible improvements in people’s lives and prove that the political transition represents more than symbolic revenge against his predecessors. The Reflex coverage reflects wider Czech media interest in Hungary’s political direction, with other publications also examining the government’s reforms and the future of Hungarian democracy.
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