Hungary’s Fidesz party has elected János Bóka as the new leader of its parliamentary group, replacing Gergely Gulyás, who stepped down earlier this month.
The decision was made unanimously at the party’s parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday following a proposal by former prime minister and Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán, who had consulted the party’s national leadership before putting Bóka’s name forward. Orbán later confirmed the appointment in a Facebook post, while Bóka also announced his new role on social media.
Succeeding Gergely Gulyás
Fidesz was forced to appoint a new parliamentary group leader after Gergely Gulyás announced on 13 July that he would resign from the post. He said his departure was linked to amendments to Hungary’s Fundamental Law, under which he would no longer be eligible to serve as an MP in the next parliamentary term.
Until his appointment, Bóka had served as one of the parliamentary group’s deputy leaders, making him one of the most frequently mentioned candidates to succeed Gulyás. Hungarian media had reported for weeks that Orbán favoured him for the position.
Although Fidesz MP János Pócs suggested shortly before Tuesday’s meeting that the outcome had not yet been decided, Bóka’s appointment had been widely expected.
Political attacks before the announcement
The prospect of Bóka taking over the parliamentary group leadership had already become a point of political debate. Prime Minister Péter Magyar repeatedly criticised the incoming leader in Parliament, referring to him on Tuesday as the “future parliamentary group leader” even before the official announcement.
During his speech, PM Magyar described Bóka as a “former SZDSZ politician turned Fidesz crisis manager” and accused him of contributing to Hungary’s failure to secure European Union funding. Magyar also contrasted Bóka with his predecessor, saying that compared with Bóka’s “meaningless speech”, Gulyás “was a hurricane on his own”.
From academia to government
Bóka graduated in law from the University of Szeged in 2001 and obtained his PhD there in 2013. His early career included a period at Hungary’s Information Office between 2003 and 2004. He later worked as an assistant to former SZDSZ Member of the European Parliament István Szent-Iványi until 2009, and that same year stood as an SZDSZ candidate in the European Parliament elections.
Alongside his political career, Bóka held several academic positions, serving as an assistant lecturer, lecturer, associate professor and vice dean, while also working as a senior adviser at the Civil Division of Hungary’s Curia, the country’s supreme court.
He entered government in 2018 as a state secretary at the Ministry of Justice before moving to the Prime Minister’s Office in 2021. In 2022 he became ministerial commissioner, and from 2023 until 2026 served as Hungary’s minister responsible for European Union affairs.
During his time overseeing EU affairs, Bóka faced criticism from opponents over Hungary’s access to frozen EU funds. Following this year’s party leadership reshuffle, he also became one of Fidesz’s vice-presidents.
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A key role ahead of the next election
As parliamentary group leader, Bóka will be responsible for coordinating Fidesz’s legislative agenda and managing the party’s MPs in the National Assembly. The appointment places him in one of the party’s most influential parliamentary positions as Hungary moves towards the next general election.
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