Elections in Hungary: national and international impact of voters‘ choices

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Program and Speakers

Panel conversation (60 minutes) followed by Q&A (60 minutes):

Zsuzsanna Szelényi: What does Fidesz promise, and which policies can be expected if Viktor Orbán wins?

Zsuzsanna Szelényi is a Hungarian political analyst, book author and former politician. She is a Program Director at the Central European University Democracy Institute, and author of Tainted Democracy, Viktor Orbán and the Subversion of Hungary, as well as a Non-resident Senior Fellow with Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). She was a founding member of the opposition party Together and was elected Member of Parliament (2014-2018). Ms. Szelényi started her political career as a member of the Fidesz party during the transition period in 1988. She served as a Member of Parliament starting 1990 but left Fidesz in 1994, when the party changed its political position from liberal to conservative. Zsuzsanna Szelényi lives in Budapest.

Péter Magyari: What does Tisza promise, and which policies can be expected if Péter Magyar wins?

Péter Magyari is an award-winning Hungarian journalist, working for the conservative-liberal news site Válasz Online. He teaches journalism at different universities and is a regular commentator on Hungarian radio and TV programs. In 2010, Magyari received the Investigative Journalist of the Year award and in 2020 the National Hungarian Press Association award for his lifetime achievement. Péter Magyari lives in Budapest.

Botond Feledy: What can Washington and Brussels expect, depending on who wins the elections?

Botond Feledy is a Brussels-based geopolitical expert, lawyer, political commentator and the director of Red Snow Consulting and the European Leadership Programme. His research focuses on the Euro-Atlantic security issues, as well as on Hungary’ foreign policy.  Feledy is a regular contributor to the online political channel of Partizan. He resides in Brussels.

Background

As Hungarian parliamentary elections approach, scheduled for 12 April 2026, and some polls indicate that the current prime minister Viktor Orbán may lose to Péter Magyar, his former political ally, elections campaign has been becoming more aggressive. What could be expected to be Orban’s internal and external policies, if he wins the elections for the fifth time? Which changes, radical or gradual, can be expected if Tisza leader, Péter Magyar wins?

The importance of Hungarian elections surpasses the country’s borders and election results will have international implications in both Washington DC and Brussels.

The speakers will address the local context as well as the latest developments.

Moderator

Mirjana Tomic, fjum/Presseclub Concordia

Additional information