Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced Saturday that he will not take his seat in the next parliament, signaling a strategic shift after his party’s electoral setback, according to a report by Telex.
Speaking after a leadership meeting of the ruling Fidesz, Orbán said discussions are underway “at full steam” about renewing the “national side” and reshaping the party’s parliamentary group.
Orbán, who led the joint Fidesz–KDNP list in the election, said the mandate he secured effectively belongs to the party. “I have decided to return it,” he said, adding that his role is now needed outside parliament, focusing instead on reorganizing the broader political camp.
He also announced that the Fidesz parliamentary group will formally form on Monday and undergo a “fundamental transformation.” The faction will be led by Gergely Gulyás, a senior party figure and current minister.
Looking ahead, Orbán said Fidesz’s national board meeting will be held next week, while a leadership congress originally scheduled for the fall has been moved forward to June. He added that if the congress places its trust in him, he is prepared to continue in a leadership role.
Orbán is among the very few Hungarian politicians to have continuously held a parliamentary seat since the first free elections in 1990 following the fall of communism. In total, he acted as Hungary’s prime minister for 20 years, from 1998-2002, and for 16 years after a landslide victory in the 2010 election.
