Hungarys New Government Starts Adhering to EU Positions on Social Issues

Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party who challenged Prime Minister Viktor Orban in national elections, speaks during the party’s campaign opener event in Budapest, Hungary, on Feb. 15, 2026. Denes Erdos/AP PhotoHungary’s new government, led by Prime Minister Peter Magyar, is moving to align its domestic policies more closely with European Union expectations on migration and LGBT content, in what analysts describe as a major ideological repositioning during the post-Orban era.Magyar was sworn in on May 9 after his Tisza Party’s landslide victory in the April 12 parliamentary election. That election ended Viktor Orban’s 16 consecutive years in power, a tenure defined by conservative governance and resistance to European Union pressure over migration, gender ideology, and aid to Ukraine.Reversal on AsylumThe first signal came on the migration issue. Foreign Minister Anita Orban, who is not related to former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, told Hungary’s European Affairs Committee on May 11 that Hungary would allow migrants to file asylum applications at Hungary’s borders, rather than from third countries.