Peter Magyar has been sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister, almost a month after parliamentary elections that ended Viktor Orban’s 16 years in power, Al Jazeera reports.
Magyar, 45, who leads the centre-right Tisza party, was propelled into office on promises of change after years of economic stagnation under Orban, and strained ties with key allies, including the European Union.
On Saturday, Magyar invited Hungarians to “step through the gate of regime change”.
His party has a huge parliamentary majority, winning 141 of the 199 seats.
However, Magyar faces several challenges in his new role, including restoring Budapest’s relations with the EU, reviving the economy and tackling a budget deficit that reached almost three-quarters of its full-year target by April.
A ceremony was held inside Hungary’s neo-Gothic parliament building as Magyar was sworn in. The EU flag, removed under Orban, was displayed inside the chamber for the first time in 12 years.
The newly appointed parliamentary speaker, Agnes Forsthoffer, used her first decision in office to order the flag’s reinstatement, describing the move as “the first symbolic step on this path [back to Europe]”.
The new prime minister aims to strike a deal with the EU that would unlock around $20bn in frozen funding. The money was withheld over concerns about worsening human rights under Orban and a decline in the rule of law.
