Maygar, Orbán, and a Clash of Power: How Hungarian Democracy Has Been Thrown Into The Lion’s Den
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Seeking to Purge Corruption, Some Accuse Hungary’s New Prime Minister of Fomenting Tyranny
Article Written by Jett James Pruitt
Hungary’s political culture is in upheaval.
On July 13, 2026, prosecutors under the supervision of Hungary’s tax authority raided offices storing data servers used by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who departed office in early May. The raid was conducted as part of incumbent Prime Minister Péter Maygar’s ongoing efforts to purge the country of Orbán’s political network, which has been routinely criticized throughout the European Union (EU) for producing an illiberal, ‘mafia’ state.
For context, Maygar and the pro-EU Tisza party decisively defeated Orbán’s Fidesz in the April 12 national election, in which the former won 141 out of 199 seats in the Hungarian parliament. After promising to institute “regime change,” Maygar’s ministry has thus far indicted six Fidesz members of embezzlement, approved a constitutional measure to oust then-President Tamás Sulyok, and passed an amendment effectively forcing President of the Constitutional Court Peter Polt to retire early.
Shortly after the raids on July 13, Fidesz asserted on social media that the searches occurred “without prior notice” and “with the intention of seizing the party’s entire communications system and databases.” The party further stated “There has been no precedent for this in Hungary since the end of Communism in 1990!”
Later, on July 25, Orbán called on his supporters to engage in “resistance politics” to stop Maygar, arguing the new prime minister is breeding authoritarianism and undermining the rule of law. Maygar responded by insisting “It is pointless to deal with an inexorable, disgraced mafia boss.”
Both internationally and within Hungary, Maygar’s ‘purgatorium’ has drawn mixed reactions.
On one hand, the EU Commission appears to quietly approve of Maygar’s crackdown, with Irish politician Michael McGrath commenting “we see some very positive trends” in Hungary. Brussels also agreed to unfreeze more than 16 billion euros in previously withheld recovery funds in exchange for Budapest delivering on anti-corruption measures — a tacit signal of the EU’s blessing.
Meanwhile, Orbán’s allies in the EU Parliament have vocalized their objection to the anti-corruption campaign, which they deride as a veiled effort to put pressure on Fidesz and undercut opposition to Maygar. Earlier in May, the Patriots for Europe Group criticized a measure to retroactively impose a two-term limit on Hungary’s prime minister (thus barring Orbán from serving another term), claiming in a public statement: “The proposal put forward by the EPP[European People’s Party Group]-affiliated Tisza Party fits into a broader European political trend aimed at excluding patriotic and sovereignist forces from democratic competition. Across Europe, mainstream parties are increasingly attempting to use administrative and legal instruments against national-conservative political movements and politicians.”
What are the long-term implications of the public clash between Maygar and Orbán for Hungary?
Throughout his 16 years in power, Orbán has been accused of misusing public funds and redirecting lucrative state contracts to business associates allied with Fidesz. In 2022, the European Parliament officially downgraded Hungary from a ‘democracy’ to ‘a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy,’ with Orbán himself characterizing the country as an ‘illiberal democracy.’
Yet, even if claims of corruption under Orbán’s leadership are legitimate, Maygar’s measures to alter the Hungarian constitution in order to remove or bar Fidesz party members from power is deeply problematic for the future of Hungary. Maygar has already secured power with a supermajority in the country’s parliament, and Orbán fully conceded the April election to his rival. It is also important to note Polt, Sulyok, and Orbán have yet to be formally convicted of any crimes.
For these reasons, it is concerning just how far, and how swiftly, the current Prime Minister is willing to go in shunning Fidesz.
Simply put, replacing a corrupt state with an unfettered ‘tyranny of the majority’ is not a viable strategy to restore public faith in Hungary’s democratic institutions. And if the EU wishes to preserve its reputation as a bastion of global democracy and rule of law, it needs to do more in keeping Maygar’s internal renovation within bounds.
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Jett James Pruitt is a Native American, Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of the bestselling book THROUGH THE EYES OF A YOUNG AMERICAN. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of TheGenZPost.com and a political strategist specializing in Generation Z voter trends. He is currently a B.A. International Politics student at The University of London Institute in Paris. His next book, THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE: What America's Political Parties Must Do To Win Over Generation Z, will be released in major bookstores worldwide early 2027.
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