Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who lost the election, announced on April 25 that he was giving up his mandate in parliament, but was ready to continue leading the Fidesz party. He published a video message on Facebook and was quoted by Telex.
Orbán noted that he received a mandate as the leader of the Fidesz party and that this mandate belongs to the party itself. According to him, it is now more important to work on the reorganization of the national movement than to remain in parliament.
The Fidesz Presidium decided to radically reform the parliamentary faction, which will be headed by Gergely Gulyash. At the same time, Orban stressed that he is ready to remain head of the party if the congress in June confirms his powers. The last one was postponed; it was supposed to take place in the fall, Telex noted.
Orbán also emphasized that he led his political community for almost four decades, which he called the most united force in Hungary, and added that the country especially needs this unity now.
Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Pani suggested on Facebook that Orban's decision to abandon his mandate may indicate his intention to flee the country.
“Viktor Orban announced today that he will not take a seat in parliament, will not accept a mandate – that is, he will not have immunity. He also noted that the elections for the leadership of the Fidesz party will be postponed to June. All this coincides with my information from Tuesday, according to which Orban is planning a trip to the United States for the summer, and that the United States could become a refuge for him if it “gets hot” in Hungary,” he wrote.
In his blog, Pani noted that Orban plans to attend the World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, with most matches taking place in the United States. According to the journalist, this politician’s trip is connected not only with football or meeting with relatives living in the United States. According to Pani's sources, the ex-prime minister is planning contacts with the entourage of US President Donald Trump, who supported his candidacy, as well as with American right-wing and far-right political forces, business structures and think tanks. Orbán's government has spent heavily over the past decade developing ties with these people, and now, after losing the election, some of his Fidesz allies see Trump's America as a safer and more promising place for their future than Hungary under the rule of Peter Madyar's Tisza party, the report said.
Madyar promised on April 12 to join the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which would give EU investigators powers to investigate fraud cases and potentially reopen a review of how Brussels funds were used during Orban's rule, Euractiv wrote.
