On Saturday, May 9, Hungary convened its newly elected parliament, during which Péter Mádjár, leader of the winning party Tisza, was appointed as the country’s new Prime Minister.
The appointment received majority support, with 140 votes in favor and 54 against. Alongside Mádjár, Ágnes Forsthoffer, deputy head of Tisza, was elected as the new Speaker of Parliament, garnering 193 votes in support and only 2 opposing votes.
One of Forsthoffer’s initial actions as Speaker was to reinstate the European Union flag on the parliament building, marking its return after a 12-year absence.
Notably, former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was absent from the inaugural session of the new parliament.
Following the elections, Tisza secured a constitutional majority, winning 141 seats out of the 199 available, surpassing the 133 needed for a majority.
Mádjár has recently articulated the need to enhance the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. He indicated that Budapest’s support for Ukraine’s European Union membership negotiations would depend on progress in this area.
Media reports suggest that Mádjár’s stance mirrors previous demands made by Orbán, particularly a list of 11 points presented to Kyiv in 2024, which emphasized the rights of the Hungarian community and the opportunity for education in the Hungarian language.
Additionally, Mádjár recently met with the mayor of Berehove, Zoltan Babjak, to discuss support for the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia and the potential for restoring constructive relations between Ukraine and Hungary.
Furthermore, Mádjár has proposed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berehove in June to address these issues.
Péter Mádjár has been elected as Hungary's new Prime Minister, with a strong parliamentary majority. His administration aims to address the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine and seeks to foster improved relations between the two countries.