What the End of the Orban Era Means for Hungary and Its Constitution | Marton Sulyok
American Thought Leaders
The Epoch Times
4.9 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 5 June 2026
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Hungary is undergoing a major transformation with the election of a new prime minister.
After 16 years in power, Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party was swept from office in a historic landslide election in April and with an equally historic turnout of almost 80 percent.
The new Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, won the largest super-majority in Hungary’s post-communist history with a platform focused on anti-corruption and national renewal. They’ve promised major changes to Hungary’s constitution, known as the Fundamental Law.
So what does this election mean for Hungary and how might the new leadership reorient its relationship with America, the European Union, Russia, and China?
Orban was known for his pro-family and pro-tradition domestic policies, while at the same time cultivating close ties with Russia and communist China and distancing himself from the EU.
Joining us today to break all this down is Hungarian constitutional law scholar Marton Sulyok, a visiting researcher at the Georgetown Center for the Constitution.
Sulyok is, notably, also the son of Hungary’s current President, Tamas Sulyok.
Magyar has demanded the resignation of Sulyok and other Orban allies. It remains to be seen whether they will be forced out by constitutional amendment or other means.
Despite his family ties, the younger Sulyok has remained strikingly detached.
Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hungary has entered a new chapter. |
| 0:03.0 | In an April landslide election, the Hungarian people voted to end Victor Orban's 16-year rule |
| 0:09.0 | and gave the TISA Party a historic supermajority. |
| 0:13.0 | It's the largest supermajority that we have seen since we have transitioned from communism to democracy in 1989. |
| 0:19.0 | The ruling party, led by Peter Magyar, has vowed to make major changes to the Constitution. |
| 0:25.6 | Basically, what's being argued here is that this Constitution has failed. |
| 0:29.6 | We've had a constitution for 16 years and we've amended it 15 times. |
| 0:33.6 | What does this election mean for Hungary, |
| 0:36.6 | and how might Hungary's new leadership |
| 0:38.2 | reorient its relationship with America, the EU, Russia and China? My hometown where I'm from |
| 0:45.4 | is now home to the largest BYD factory, I think in the world, which is going to be the |
| 0:51.1 | regional distribution hub for the EVs that are going to be manufactured there. |
| 0:56.0 | Today I sit down with Hungarian constitutional law scholar Martin Shuyok, |
| 1:00.0 | a visiting researcher at the Georgetown Center for the Constitution. |
| 1:04.0 | He is also the son of the sitting president of Hungary. |
| 1:08.0 | A key question is whether President Shuyok and other |
| 1:11.7 | urban allies will be forced out, |
| 1:14.1 | by constitutional amendment, or by other means. |
| 1:17.2 | This is American Thought Leaders, and I'm Yanya Kelek. |
| 1:25.7 | Martin Shiyok, such a pleasure to have you on American Thought Leaders. |
| 1:29.0 | Thank you, Jan. It's a pleasure to be here. |
| 1:31.5 | So last April, we had a sea change in the political reality in Hungary. |
... |
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