Earthquake in Hungarian politics
Before the elections, the leader of TISZa said in an interview with the weekly HVG that if he won, will abolish the current structure of ministries, in which, for example, there are no separate ministries of health, education or environment.
Magyar clearly announced zero tolerance for corruption. He intends to join the European Public Prosecutor's Office and establish the National Office for Asset Recovery and Protection. Property audits dating back 20 years are to be ordered, covering all MPs, ministers and the Prime Minister. Minutes of government meetings after 2010 will also be published – provided this does not threaten Hungary's economic interests and security.
The National Office for Asset Recovery and Protection is to be one of the key tools in the fight against corruption. According to the declarations of TISZA politicians, the institution would start operating as soon as possible, even within the first months of the government.
The office would have broad analytical and investigative powers. His job would be examining the largest issues related to the use of public funds from the last dozen or so years, including large state contracts, infrastructure investments, public procurement and the activities of foundations and state-related companies. The announcements also include areas such as energy projects (including Paks), expenses during the pandemic and operations of state financial institutions.
Peter MagyarXinhua/ABACA / PAP
The institution would not replace the prosecutor's office or courts, but would act as a specialized body collecting documents, analyzing financial flows and preparing evidence.
Demands for resignation
The winning camp demands the resignation of political appointees. Magyar announced that people heading key state institutions, who in his opinion were linked to the previous ruling camp, should step down from their positions to enable the reconstruction of independent institutions and the restoration of the rule of law. It was about:
- President of Hungary
- Attorney General
- President of the Supreme Court
- President of the Constitutional Court
- Head of the media office
- Head of the antitrust office
- The Chairman of the Supreme Audit Office
Another important commitment is limiting the prime minister's term of office to eight years and enshrining it in the constitution. Interestingly, this provision would apply retroactively to Viktor Orban, who would no longer be able to run for the position of head of government.
Changes in foreign policy
After the change of government, there will also be a change in foreign policy. They are to be restored to stay relations with traditional allies such as the Visegrad Group countries, the European Union and NATO. At the same time, the process of gradually pushing Hungary out of the EU would be stopped.
Hungary's role in the EU would change. There are supposed to be fewer conflicts between Budapest and Brussels. The new Hungarian government would conduct relations with Moscow in a more restrained and pragmatic way.
Media speculations
The new government announced by Peter Magyar is to move away from the current, centralized structure and restore the classic model of sectoral ministries. There are plans to create separate ministries of finance, health, education and environmental protection. The names of the ministers have not been officially announced yet. For now, the Hungarian media is limited to speculations regarding several of the most important ministries. And so, the Ministry of Finance would be taken over by Andras Karman, and the Ministry of Health by Zsolt Hegedus.
The Ministry of Economy is to play a key role in the economy, and Istvan Kapitany may become its head. In turn, Anita Orban would take over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Andras Karman
Andras Karman was born in 1973. He studied economics at the Corvinus University in Budapest, and then also studied abroad, among others. in the United States.
Peter Magyar and Andras KarmanAttila Kisbenedek / AFP
In the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century, he worked in the financial sector and public administration. He was associated with the Ministry of Finance, where he was responsible for macroeconomic and budgetary policy. In 2009, he became Secretary of State in the Ministry of Finance in the government of Gordon Bajnai, responsible for managing public debt and stabilizing state finances during the economic crisis.
After the change of government, he left the administration and continued his career in the private sector and financial institutions. In the following years, he performed advisory and expert functions, including: with the investment sector and financial institutions operating in the Central European region.
The media indicate him as one of the candidates for positions related to public finances, primarily in the Ministry of Finance.
Zsolt Hegedus
Zsolt Hegedus completed his medical studies at Semmelweis University in Budapest, where he obtained his medical degree in 1994 and then specialized in orthopedics. He worked for many years in his profession, both in Hungary and abroad – in Great Britain, where he held managerial positions in public health service (NHS) institutions.
After returning to the country, he continued his medical practice and became involved in activities aimed at reforming the health care system. He was one of the leaders of the “1001 orvos hálapénz nélkül” (“1001 doctors without bribes”) movement, demanding the elimination of informal payments in the health service. In the years 2019–2023, he served as the chairman of the ethical college of the Hungarian Medical Chamber.
He joined the TISHA party as a health care expert. Peter Magyar nominated him as a candidate for the position of Minister of Health, responsible for preparing the concept of system reform.
Istvan Captains
Istvan Kapitany graduated in engineering from the Technical University of Budapest and then studied management, earning an MBA from Henley Management College in the UK.
Istvan CaptainsRobert Hegedus / PAP
For most of his career, he was associated with Shell, where he worked for over 25 years. He held high management positions in Europe and around the world, including: in the area of fuel retail sales. In 2021, he took up one of the highest positions in the company's structure – he became Executive Vice President at Shell, responsible for the Mobility segment, i.e. the company's global activities in the field of fuel sales, development of the station network and transformation towards electromobility.
The media speculate that he may take up the position of economy minister.
Anita Orban
Anita Orban is indicated as one of the main candidates for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in the future government of Peter Magyar. She is not related to Viktor Orban – the similarity of names is accidental.
Anita OrbanSZILARD KOSZTICSAK / PAP
She was born in 1974. She studied economics and international relations. She graduated from Corvinus University in Budapest and then studied abroad – primarily in the United States, where she studied, among others, at Tufts University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston.
In the years 2010–2015 she worked in the Hungarian administration, among others. at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she served as ambassador for energy security. She dealt with climate and energy policy issues and participated in Hungary's preparations for the COP21 climate summit in Paris in 2015.
After leaving the administration, she moved to the private sector. She worked, among others, for the E.ON concern, and then took up a director's position in the global structures of Vodafone, where she was responsible for international relations and strategy. Her activities focused, among others, on: on energy transformation and diversification of energy sources.
