President of the Legislature ordered the return of the symbol to the building minutes before the new prime minister’s inauguration
The President of the Hungarian Parliament, Ágnes Forsthoffer, determined this Saturday (May 9, 2026) the return of the EU (European Union) flag to the country’s legislative building. The decision took place minutes before the inauguration of the country’s new prime minister (Tisza, center-right). The European symbol has been absent from the main Hungarian political center since 2014, a period marked by Hungary’s distancing from Brussels under the government of Viktor Orbán.
📹 Hungarian Parliament raises EU flag again after 12 years
🇭🇺 Return of the European symbol takes place on the day of Péter Magyar’s inauguration and marks a departure from the Orbán era
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The announcement was made just minutes after his election by a large majority to lead the new legislature and became the first symbolic political gesture of the new Hungary, after Orbán’s departure from power.
“May my first decision as President of the Chamber be the first symbolic step on this path (back to Europe). I therefore order that, from today, after 12 years, the European Union flag returns to the Hungarian Parliament building”, declared.
REAPPROXIMATION WITH BRUSSELS
The absence of the European flag in the Hungarian Parliament was related to the period in which Orbán led the country. During the years of the nationalist leader’s government, Hungary remained away from Brussels. The replacement of the symbol can be considered the first political gesture of power in Hungary.
The new Hungarian leadership sends Brussels a signal of rapprochement after years of tensions. Magyar takes charge of the government with the promise of promoting a ““. The victory ends a long political cycle for the extreme right in the country.
The election that brought Magyar to power took place on April 12, 2026. Turnout was a record in the country. Orbán, 62, acknowledged having been defeated by lawyer Magyar, 45. The victory paves the way for the transition of power after 16 years of a government that marked Europe with its model of “illiberal democracy”.
NEW PRIME MINISTER
Péter Magyar is a former ally of Viktor Orbán who has become the main name of the conservative opposition in Hungary. He gained national prominence in 2024, after breaking with the government and denouncing corruption within the political system.
Lawyer and former member of the government structure, Magyar served as a diplomat at the European Union and held positions in Hungarian state institutions. His experience within the government strengthened his speech that the system is “rotten inside”.
After the pardon scandal related to child abuse, which led to the resignation of President Katalin Novák and former Minister of Justice Judit Varga (Magyar’s ex-wife), the current prime minister left his public positions and began directly attacking the Orbán government.
He took charge of the Tisza party and won 2nd place in the 2024 European elections. Since then, he has traveled the country advocating the fight against corruption, improving public health and reforms to recover resources from the European Union.
In foreign policy, Magyar promises to bring Hungary closer to the European Union and NATO, adopting a more critical stance towards Russia than Orbán. Despite this, it maintains conservative positions on issues such as immigration and rejects sending weapons to Ukraine.
