Hungary's Peter Magyar Orders Orban Loyalists Out by May 31
Updated
Updated · FRANCE 24 English · May 11
Hungary's Peter Magyar Orders Orban Loyalists Out by May 31
5 articles · Updated · FRANCE 24 English · May 11
May 31 is the deadline Peter Magyar gave President Tamas Salyok and other Viktor Orban-appointed officials to resign, minutes after taking office as Hungary's new prime minister.
Magyar cast the move as the first step in dismantling Orban's 15-year patronage system after Tisza's landslide election win ended Fidesz rule.
36 hours after Magyar took office, former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro—granted asylum by Orban last year—said he had left Hungary for the United States, signaling how quickly former allies are reacting.
Analysts say the bigger test will come if Orban loyalists refuse to quit, likely forcing legal and constitutional battles over posts in the presidency, prosecution service and audit office.
That fight will shape whether Magyar can rebuild ties with EU-friendly Poland and the Visegrad group while unwinding what critics called an 'opposition-proof' state.
Can Hungary's new leader legally dismantle a system designed to be unbreakable, or will his anti-corruption crusade ignite a constitutional crisis?
With €35 billion of EU funds at stake, can Magyar meet the August deadline to reform Hungary and join the anti-graft agency?
Hungary’s New Era: Magyar’s May 31st Deadline, Orbán’s Fall, and the Fight for EU Funds
Overview
After being sworn in as Prime Minister on May 9, 2026, Peter Magyar quickly declared a 'complete regime change' in Hungary. He pledged to reverse years of democratic backsliding and corruption, targeting the extensive administrative network built by Viktor Orbán. Magyar ordered all high-ranking officials from the previous regime to step down by May 31, 2026, marking a critical first step in his reform agenda. Alongside this, his government launched major corruption and money laundering investigations, signaling a determined effort to dismantle old power structures and restore integrity to Hungary's political system.