Péter Magyar sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister ending 16-year Orbán era

The pro-European centre-right leader Péter Magyar has been sworn in as prime minister of Hungary, marking the official end to Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power.

Saturday’s ceremony – during which Magyar had invited people to join him to “write Hungarian history” together and “step through the gate of regime change” – comes a month after his opposition Tisza party won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections.

The result sparked jubilation in Budapest and beyond, as Orbán and his populist, nationalist movement had long been held up by the global far right as an example to emulate.

Speaking to the tens of thousands of supporters who had heeded his call to gather outside parliament, the new prime minister described the road to change as very long and often quite bumpy.

But Hungarians could finally rejoice, he added. “Today, every freedom-loving person in the world wants to be a little Hungarian,” he said.

“You have taught the country and the world that it is the most ordinary, flesh-and-blood people that can defeat the most vicious tyranny,” Magyar added to roaring applause.

Earlier he had told parliament that Hungarians had given his party a mandate to launch a “new chapter” in the country’s history. “A mandate not only to change the government, but to change the system as well. To start again.”

Under Orbán’s watch, he said, Hungary had become the most corrupt country in the EU. “Orbán’s associates and the elite have a long way to go until they are confronted with what they have done,” he said, vowing that his government would seek justice against those who, even in the last hours, were trying to “steal everything”.

He reiterated his earlier calls for Orbán-era appointees to resign, asking them to do so by the end of the month. The first should be Tamás Sulyok, he said, in a reference to the president who had, moments earlier, nominated Magyar to form a government. Outside parliament, the crowds roared their approval at the comment.