Peter Magyar sworn in as Hungary’s PM, ending Orban’s 16 years in power

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Peter Magyar sworn in as Hungary’s PM, ending Orban’s 16 years in power

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2026

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Magyar’s Tisza party secured a huge parliamentary majority in last month’s election.

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.

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.

During Orban’s tenure, Hungary drifted further away from the EU as ties with Moscow deepened. The former prime minister used his veto in the European Council to oppose sanctions on Russia and block support for Ukraine.

Theofanis Exadaktylos, a professor of European politics at the University of Surrey, told Al Jazeera that Magyar will need to prove he is different from Orban while dealing with the bureaucracy left behind by his predecessor.

“The challenges for the new PM are primarily related to the extensive presence of the previous regime. Orban was in power for such a long time and he has managed to change Hungary substantially from an administrative point of view. To that end, uprooting the previous establishment will be a challenge,” he said.

“The second [challenge] will be to establish himself as different to the previous regime. Considering his background there will be sceptic voices, however let’s not forget that ideologically he belongs to the right,” he continued.

“Nonetheless, his election marks a turning point in Hungary showcasing that the previous regime had started to lose ground in its popular basis. The third challenge is the way he will reconnect Hungary to the European Union: to that end, he has a bit of work to do from a diplomatic point of view to create new allies within the Union.”

Magyar’s rise to prime minister is widely regarded as a remarkable feat. He was largely unknown in Hungarian politics until early 2024, when he became embroiled in a public dispute with Orban’s ruling Fidesz party, of which he had previously been a prominent member.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/9/peter-magyar-sworn-in-as-hungarys-pm-ending-orbans-16-years-in-power?traffic_source=rss

Related Topics:சர்வதேச செய்திகள்தமிழ் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு

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📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/6/9/aje-onl-nf_israel-continues-strikes-on-lebanon-halts-on-iran-080626?traffic_source=rss

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ICC prosecutor suspended pending vote on sexual misconduct claims

Published

11 hours ago

June 9, 2026

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Karim Khan rejects suspension as ICC governing body refers him to disciplinary proceedings before member states.

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been suspended from his duties, the tribunal’s governing body said, following a probe into sexual misconduct allegations.

In a statement on Monday, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties said it will refer Khan to disciplinary proceedings before all 125 ICC member states, which will vote on his fate in a special session.

“This suspension is not an indication of the final outcome,” it said.

The bureau, which is the executive committee of the court’s oversight body, said it referred Khan after making its own decision on the disciplinary proceedings involving the prosecutor.

It said the decision was based on a report of a United Nations investigation, the advice of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions, but did not give details about what it had decided.

“The decision of the ⁠Bureau and the related documentation will remain confidential,” the statement said.

Khan’s lawyers ⁠said in a statement that he rejected the decision in the strongest terms, and repeated his denial of any wrongdoing.

“The decision is unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence,” the statement said.

Khan, 56, drew international attention when he applied for warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.

He also sought warrants for Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, for the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

Khan was among the first to be sanctioned by Israel’s ally, the United States, which expressed outrage over the arrest warrants.

He has maintained that the misconduct probe is a politically motivated smear campaign.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press news agencies, the UN probe found a “factual basis” for the allegations of sexual misconduct made by a female aide. However, a three-judge panel selected by the executive committee for a legal assessment of the findings found that the investigation was not conclusive enough.

Khan’s lawyers had previously told Reuters that the judges had unanimously concluded that the “factual findings do not establish misconduct or breach of duty”.

Khan has not led the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor since ⁠last May, when he took a voluntary leave of absence pending the outcome of the inquiry.

He is the first ICC prosecutor to be formally suspended from his role by the court’s oversight body.

Only the Assembly of States Parties has the authority to remove Khan from office, a move that would require a majority in a secret ballot of its 125 member states.

Sixty-three countries would need to support a measure to remove him.

No date was immediately set for the session.

Khan’s suspension will have little practical impact on the functioning of the court, given his existing leave of absence.

He has already been removed from pleading in the ICC’s most high-profile current case, against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/9/icc-prosecutor-suspended-pending-vote-on-sexual-misconduct-claims?traffic_source=rss

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📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/6/9/un-questions-legality-of-israeli-forced-evacuation-orders-in-lebanon?traffic_source=rss