Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been re-elected as chairman of Fidesz for another year, securing an overwhelming mandate at the party’s 32nd congress in Budapest on Saturday.

The backbone of Fidesz stays

Orbán, who was the sole candidate for the position, received 729 votes from 737 valid ballots cast in a secret vote. Eight delegates abstained from submitting a ballot. The result extends a leadership tenure that has defined Fidesz for decades. Apart from a three-year break between 2000 and 2003, Orbán has led the party since 1993.

The congress also approved a reshaped leadership team, electing four deputy chairpersons. MEP Kinga Gál retained her position, while former European affairs minister János Bóka, former government commissioner Alpár Gyopáros and Salgótarján Mayor Bálint Kreicsi joined the party’s top ranks. They replace long-serving party figures Gábor Kubatov, Szilárd Németh and Lajos Kósa.

Number of national board members expanded

Delegates overwhelmingly backed the party leadership’s report on the reasons behind Fidesz’s recent electoral setback, while also adopting a political resolution rejecting the European Union’s migration pact and condemning what the party described as the “violent removal of democratically elected public officials”.

One of the most significant organisational changes approved at the congress was a revision of the party’s statutes. Fidesz expanded its national board to 28 members and aligned its internal structure more closely with Hungary’s municipal system. The enlarged leadership includes county and Budapest party leaders, parliamentary group leaders and senior party officials.

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Orbán maintains confidence, cites external dangers

Addressing delegates after the vote, Orbán thanked members for their confidence and reflected on Fidesz’s long-term political mission. He argued that Hungary’s sovereignty remains under pressure from external forces and warned that foreign interests could seek to influence the country’s future.

The former prime minister also spoke about succession, saying he hopes eventually to hand over a party capable of winning elections to a younger generation. However, he made clear that he has no intention of changing his political style or convictions, stressing that his primary goal remains serving Hungary.

The congress concluded with members of the newly elected national leadership joining Orbán on stage for a group photograph, symbolising a renewed leadership structure ahead of the party’s next political chapter.

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