Hungary After Orbán with Bulcsú Hunyadi

A new day has arrived in Hungary. After 16 years in power, Viktor Orban, one of the defining figures of modern right-wing populism has been voted out. His system, which he openly described as an "illiberal democracy." reshaped Hungary's institutions, weakened checks and balances, and concentrated power in the hands of the ruling party. In April 2026, that system was upended. Peter Magyar, a former government insider, united a fragmented opposition, and won a sweeping electoral victory, defying expectations that Orban's grip on power could not be broken. In episode 12 of The Transponder, host Samuel George speaks with Bulcsu Hunyadi of Political Capital, a research institution based in Budapest about how this breakthrough happened, and what comes next.