- Péter Magyar does not want to negotiate with politicians from the old opposition parties, claiming they are also responsible for the state the country has reached at this point. “Get a job at last” – the Tisza Party president told them in a flash interview with 24.hu.
- Ákos Hadházy believes this could derail the cause of government change.
- Do analysts see it the same way?
- Who is certain to run again, and who is hesitating?
- And what is true about the rumours surrounding Duna, a new opposition party or association?
We asked Péter Magyar whether he sees a chance for his Tisza Party to cooperate with the current opposition MPs – or some of them – in the 2026 parliamentary election.
Opposition figures have already approached us around the EP election and afterward. They wanted to discuss 2026, asking whether we would be willing to support them in their individual districts. Moreover, one Budapest parliamentary representative even personally asked me, as she put it, whether we intend to ‘kill them off, too.’ I made it clear to her that we want to change the government, and that can only be achieved with new people
– he said to our paper after his press conference last Monday.
It was revealed shortly after that the government side plans to completely redraw the boundaries of Budapest’s individual electoral districts. While the proposals submitted after our interviews and background discussions are unlikely to influence the basic positions or strategies of our interviewees, they will likely create complications, especially in areas where the districts, won by the opposition in 2022, are split into multiple parts. Additionally, Budapest will have only 16 constituencies in the next election, down from 18, despite opposition politicians winning 17 individual mandates there two years ago.
What is the problem?
With less than a year and a half until the 2026 elections, those seeking to oust the government face an immediate dilemma. If Tisza Party fields its own candidates in all 106 districts and refuses to coordinate with current or returning opposition MPs, it could lead to Fidesz victories even in districts where anti-government voters are the majority.
From our background conversations, there are currently three scenarios for opposition strategies regarding individual districts:
- Separate runs everywhere, including Budapest: Tisza Party and the Democratic Coalition (DK) have ruled out any cooperation. DK has also announced plans to field candidates in all 106 districts.
- Re-election bids by some or all incumbent MPs: examples include András Jámbor, Ágnes Kunhalmi, Tímea Szabó, Bence Tordai, and Zoltán Vajda, just to mention a few MPS who have indicated their intention to run to 24.hu.
- Those waiting out, either because they are undecided or tactically choose to remain silent: this group includes Ákos Hadházy, Szabolcs Szabó (who has won in Csepel three times under different party banners), and Momentum MPs Miklós Hajnal and Anna Orosz. We also contacted Dezső Hiszékeny (MSZP), who achieved the largest opposition victory in Angyalföld four years ago, but he declined to comment.
It must be noted that whether Tisza Party and the incumbent opposition MPs both run will be a critical issue only in the event of a close race, which will be the situation according to current research. Ákos Hadházy, the independent MP for Zugló, directly stated:
These districts could even cost Tisza its parliamentary majority.
