Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has hinted at unfinished political ambitions while outlining plans to rebuild Fidesz after its election defeat.
Viktor Orbán has discussed his political future and the challenges facing Fidesz following its defeat in Hungary’s April parliamentary election. Speaking at the first national camp of the Digital Civic Circles in Lakitelek on Sunday, he suggested that his political mission remained unfinished, while acknowledging that his party needed significant organisational changes, according to Hungarian news outlet Telex.
Orbán, who governed Hungary for 16 consecutive years before losing power to Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party, told supporters that he had originally expected to need 20 years to complete his political plans.
He joked that God had given him 16 years and still owed him another four.
However, the former prime minister stopped short of announcing whether he intended to seek another term in office.
Orbán outlines Fidesz’s future after election defeat
Despite moving into opposition, Orbán insisted that Fidesz remained a major force in Hungarian politics, pointing to what he described as the party’s historical achievements.
“We are a great historic governing party,” he declared, arguing that Fidesz’s record extended far beyond its recent electoral defeat.
Nevertheless, Orbán acknowledged that the party could no longer operate as it had during its years in government. Its organisational structure had been built largely around supporting the administration, a role that had now disappeared.
He said Fidesz needed to reorganise its operations and strengthen its local networks, with the aim of completing the restructuring by the end of the year.
Addressing his own future, Orbán admitted that the party would also have to determine the role of its former prime minister. Using a football analogy, he described himself as the team’s coach, while identifying parliamentary group leader János Bóka as its captain.
The former prime minister also acknowledged that Fidesz had been outperformed by Tisza in the election campaign, particularly in its ability to mobilise supporters. According to Orbán, Tisza had approximately 50,000 campaign activists, compared with around 30,000 working for Fidesz.
He argued that 16 years in government had weakened the party’s organisational energy and that it now needed to reconnect with voters.
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Former prime minister takes aim at the Tisza government
Orbán also criticised the administration led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, accusing it of dismantling achievements made during Fidesz’s time in office.
He pointed to institutions, infrastructure projects and Hungary’s approach to national sovereignty as examples of what he believed the new government was undermining.
The former prime minister described Tisza as a political force that had yet to demonstrate its ability to govern successfully over the long term. He argued that the party could establish a lasting political legacy only by developing its own governing philosophy and delivering significant economic results.
Orbán was particularly critical of the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, which has been involved in investigations concerning alleged wrongdoing under the previous government.
He portrayed investigations involving former Fidesz officials as politically motivated and suggested that the authorities ultimately wanted to target him personally.
These allegations were presented as Orbán’s interpretation of the investigations, rather than established findings about the authorities’ motives.
Fidesz faces challenge of winning back younger voters
The former prime minister also addressed one of the party’s most pressing electoral problems: its limited appeal among younger Hungarians. Orbán acknowledged that Fidesz had struggled to communicate with younger voters and estimated that around 70% of them had voted against the party.
He admitted that the party did not yet have a clear answer to the problem, arguing that younger generations viewed politics and the future differently. Rather than attempting to remake its entire political identity, Orbán suggested that Fidesz should give younger people a greater role within its organisation.
The Lakitelek gathering was part of a wider effort to maintain and reorganise the party’s supporter network following the election defeat.
Although Orbán did not announce a definitive personal comeback plan, his remarks made clear that he intended to remain actively involved in shaping Fidesz’s political future.
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