Orbán Retains Leadership
Despite Historic Loss, Viktor Orbán Re-elected Fidesz Leader, Vows Party Transformation
Key Points
At the congress, Fidesz elected four vice-presidents: János Bóka, Kinga Gál, Alpár Gyopáros and Bálint Kreicsi—moves that go beyond re-electing Orban and show who will help run the party going forward.
In his post-vote remarks, Orban framed the election result in sweeping terms, saying that after 16 years in government, “a majority of Hungarians had ‘laid down their weapons’ and allowed ‘liberals to return to power.’”
After the April defeat, Orban briefly offered to step down as party leader, but the party’s leadership rejected the proposal and urged him to remain at the head of Fidesz.
Orban offered a more granular diagnosis of why Fidesz lost—acknowledging that the campaign message failed to resonate, that the party underestimated Tisza’s strength and the record turnout, and that Fidesz’s traditional mobilization methods were beaten by the opposition’s campaign innovations.
TASS reported that the April government moved to limit the prime minister to two four-year terms via a draft amendment to the basic law that is retroactive and would prevent Orban from running again; TASS also said the congress ruled Orban would remain chairman “for free.”
Viktor Orbán was re-elected leader of Hungary's Fidesz party on June 13, winning 729 of 737 delegate votes at the party's 32nd national congress in Budapest, Al Jazeera reported. The vote came just two months after Fidesz suffered a historic defeat, losing 16 years in government to Péter Magyar's Tisza party, which won 141 of 199 parliamentary seats and a two-thirds supermajority.
Running unopposed, Orbán accepted what he called "strategic responsibility" for the April 12 loss. He vowed: "I do not give up, I never, never, never, never give up," according to Today.az.
How Fidesz Lost Its 16-Year Grip on Power
The April 12 election was a landslide by any measure. Tisza won 55.26% of the constituency vote against Fidesz's 36.72%, according to Kyiv Independent. Voter turnout hit 78.99% — the highest since Hungary's 1990 transition to democracy. Orbán admitted that record turnout worked against Fidesz, and that the party had badly underestimated Tisza's strength.
Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider, was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 9, Times of Israel reported. A Publicus Institute poll taken in May showed Tisza's support rising to 55%, while Fidesz had fallen to just 17%. Magyar's government quickly began reversing constitutional changes made during Orbán's time in power.
Orbán Admits Ten Failures, Starting With the Digital Space
At the congress, Orbán gave a detailed breakdown of why Fidesz lost. He admitted to ten specific errors. Near the top of the list: a "catastrophic defeat" in digital campaigning. Magyar's team out-innovated Fidesz online, reaching voters the party had long taken for granted, according to Al Jazeera.
Orbán also said the party "lost the youth" and that its traditional mobilization methods were no match for Tisza's campaign. He framed the result in stark terms, saying a majority of Hungarians had "laid down their weapons" and allowed "liberals to return to power." Internal critics at the congress went further, attacking the party's "arrogant communication" and "material excesses."
Fidesz Rebuilds Its Structure From the Ground Up
The congress did more than re-elect Orbán. Delegates voted to abolish the party's old regional constituency system and replace it with one built around settlements and county presidiums. The national presidium was expanded to 28 members, including all 19 county chairs and the Budapest chair, according to research from the congress proceedings.
Four new vice-presidents were elected: János Bóka, Kinga Gál, Alpár Gyopáros, and Bálint Kreicsi, Kyiv Independent reported. Three veteran vice-presidents — Gábor Kubatov, Szilárd Németh, and Lajos Kósa — stepped down. Delegates also passed a resolution formally rejecting the EU's Migration Pact, Fidesz's first major act as an opposition party.
New Government Moves to Block Orbán From Ever Returning
The Tisza government is using its two-thirds majority to raise legal barriers against Orbán. It has drafted a retroactive constitutional amendment that would limit the prime minister to two four-year terms, Times of Israel reported. Because the limit would be retroactive, it would count Orbán's previous terms — making him ineligible to serve as prime minister again even if Fidesz wins a future election.
Orbán warned his supporters that the new government plans to open Hungary to migration and foreign influence. He framed Fidesz's new role as a defender of the nation from opposition. But with polling at 17% and legal obstacles being built around him, his path back to power is narrow, Today.az noted.
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