Hungary's Orban lists PM alternatives before defending his role

Zoltan Simon, Bloomberg News on Dec 20, 2025

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he’s not the only person who could be the ruling party’s candidate for premier in next year’s election, though he added a defense of his qualifications to continue leading the country.

Asked by his ambitious Transportation and Construction Minister Janos Lazar at a town hall event why Hungarians should vote for him after close to two decades as premier, Orban was visibly caught off guard.

He began by listing some alternatives — including Lazar and his longtime finance minister and now central bank Governor Mihaly Varga — before arguing that at 62 he’s at “the best age” to continue leading the country.

“We have a fantastic community and we can always produce the best leader that we need,” Orban said at the joint campaign event with Lazar for the ruling Fidesz party in the southern city of Szeged.

Hungary is heading into pivotal elections, with a new opposition Tisza party led by former regime insider Peter Magyar leading most polls ahead of a vote that’s likely to take place in April.

Fatigue with Orban’s uninterrupted rule since 2010, a cost-of-living crisis and widespread corruption have fueled support for Magyar, who has vowed to roll back Orban’s consolidation of power and return the nation to the European Union mainstream. The E.U. has cited the erosion of rule of law and graft for freezing much of its funding earmarked for Hungary.

Despite Orban’s assertions about Fidesz’s ability to renew itself, the prime minister has dominated the party since its establishment in the late 1980s. Orban has frequently sidelined potential rivals, including Lazar himself back in 2018. Lazar subsequently returned to Orban’s cabinet as a prominent ally.

At the same time, Bloomberg reported earlier this month that with Fidesz behind by double-digits in some polls, Orban is toying with the idea of assuming the presidency and converting the currently ceremonial role of head of state into the nation’s most powerful office.