Viktor Orbán has defended his decision not to take up his parliamentary mandate following the 12 April election, marking the end of his 36-year career as an MP.
Speaking to reporters outside the Parliamentary Office Building on Monday, the outgoing prime minister repeatedly referred to internal party structures when asked why he had gone back on earlier remarks suggesting he would retire in Parliament after a potential electoral defeat.
“The national board will meet this week; all decisions are made there,” he said, adding that he now believes “something different is needed”.
Orbán confirmed on Saturday that he would return his mandate and step away from the National Assembly entirely, stating that his role would instead focus on “reorganising the national side” of Hungarian politics. Only months earlier, he had suggested he intended to retire as an MP.
Following his announcement, several senior figures also confirmed they would not take up their seats, including Zsolt Semjén, Erik Bánki and Lajos Kósa.
Major reshuffle in the Fidesz–KDNP parliamentary group
The Fidesz–KDNP parliamentary group formally convened on Monday, finalising who will sit in the new 199-seat Parliament, which is due to be constituted on 9 May.
Although the official list has not yet been published, multiple senior politicians are expected to take up mandates, including Péter Szijjártó, János Lázár, Máté Kocsis, Balázs Orbán, Alexandra Szentkirályi, Zsolt Németh and others, according to Telex.
The KDNP faction will be led by Bence Rétvári, with eight confirmed members including Miklós Seszták, István Simicskó and Hajnalka Juhász.
At the same time, several high-profile figures are stepping away from parliamentary politics. Reports suggest that Antal Rogán, Szilárd Németh, Gábor Kubatov and Gabriella Selmeczi will not take their seats.
Even among long-standing figures of the system change era, departures are significant. Alongside Viktor Orbán, László Kövér and Lajos Kósa are also leaving Parliament after decades of service.
János Lázár returns — but only temporarily
One of the most notable exceptions to the wave of withdrawals is János Lázár, who confirmed he will take up his mandate but only for one year.
The outgoing construction and transport minister said he would contribute to the party’s internal renewal and help reshape Fidesz in its new parliamentary role following defeat.
Lázár has largely remained out of the public eye since election day, briefly acknowledging the result and quoting Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Gergely Gulyás has announced the names of the official Fidesz–KDNP faction on his Facebook page:
Fidesz prepares for a fundamentally different parliamentary role
The reshuffle comes after Orbán himself acknowledged that the party must adapt to a new political reality, stating shortly after the election that the parliamentary group would require “completely different people” compared to those suited for government majority politics.
According to party insiders, the aim is to build a group combining political renewal with professional experience and policy expertise.
Fidesz has dominated Hungarian politics with a two-thirds parliamentary majority for most of the past 16 years, a period in which parliamentary work was often seen as highly centralised and disciplined, with limited internal debate.
If you missed it: Report: Wealth of Hungary’s elite under Orbán ‘being flown out from Vienna’ after election defeat – UPDATE: tax authority
Balázs Orbán to be MEP
Balázs Orbán, Fidesz’s campaign manager, will join the Fidesz parliamentary faction; however, starting in July, he will become a Member of the European Parliament, taking over Pál Szekeres’s seat, Gergely Gulyás, chairman of the Fidesz faction formed on Monday, announced. Balázs Orbán and Pál Szekeres will swap seats in July; Szekeres will return from Brussels and become a member of the Parliament’s Social Affairs Committee.
I have repeatedly asserted that Orbán Viktor is a practitioner of Realpolitik – in other words, he works off his perception of what really IS, n o t what he wishes things to be.
In that light, this makes sense, and in more ways than I am sure I know.
The post-Kadar period, in which Fidesz played a leading role, is now over.
Whether or not they, Fidesz, ever plays another role no one knows, but, for now, they have lost the mandate that they held for so long.
I believe that Orbán Viktor will try to arrange a recovery, but, in my view, the only one who can make that possible is Magyar Péter.
If Magyar does as he promised – pursuing institutional reform, whilst being seen as attempting to improve the national economic structure, without allowing Bruxelles to force the LGBTQ and Mass Migration agendae upon Hungary, Orbán will NEVER be able to effect a comeback.
On the other hand, if Hungary slides into homosexualification of it’s children and the Islamization of it
it’s street corners, Orbán Viktor will rise . no matter how good the economy is.
Mark my words.
After Péter won as you did not expected dear Mouton bot. We dont want to hear your nonesense anymore 😂
Radzs clearly Kremlin propaganda lost its’ effect. People woke up to the reality that they were all played for suckers by Fidesz who are now loading their loot on planes in Vienna. Remember the last scene in the Majka video. The two corrupt guys end up on a boat with their money somewhere far from Hungary. We are kicking the Russian bastards out of Hungary and I look forward to Tisza rooting out every last spy. If I was in charge I would close the Russian embassy.
With all due respect, Dear Rádzs – I acknowledged that the election had shifted, a month before election day, and that Magyar Péter was in a good position to win.
As to passing out advice – pass some advice out to yourself and develop better manners.
These people who ran for office are but do not take their seats are in the language of their hero Donald Trump “LOSERS” who have no commitment whatsoever to their country or to parliament. You sit in opposition and work for the country in that capacity. Why vote for someone who decides not to take their seat?