'Regime change': Hungary's Magyar exposes Orban's decadence

"On Monday, Prime Minister Peter Magyar published videos from Orban's official Buda Castle residence and two ministries, revealing gigantic, luxuriously furnished rooms throughout. But that's not all. Orban, who likes to talk about how he grew up in a village and his humble roots, had decorated his official residence with almost 100 valuable paintings from the Hungarian National Gallery. While touring the residence, Prime Minister Magyar said it reminded him the Ceausescu era."

"One of these revelatory videos has garnered as many as eight million views in a single day no small feat given that Hungary's population is just under ten million. Shining a light on the opulence of Oban and his elite as Hungary falls into disrepair may strike some outside observers as a populist move by the successor government. Yet for many Hungarians, watching this footage has trigged not only anger, but a sense a satisfaction in seeing the former elite exposed."

"At his swearing-in ceremony in the Hungarian parliament on Saturday, Magyar left no doubt he wants to see far-reaching systemic change, saying that reconciling divided Hungarian society was his top priority. This will require achieving justice, the prime minister said, which cannot be done without exposing and reckoning with the Orban system in both a moral and legal sense."

Videos released by Prime Minister Peter Magyar show lavish, luxuriously furnished rooms in Viktor Orban’s official Buda Castle residence and in two ministries. Orban’s residence is decorated with almost 100 valuable paintings from the Hungarian National Gallery, despite his public emphasis on humble village roots. Magyar said the setting reminded him of the Ceausescu era. One video drew about eight million views in a day, despite Hungary’s population being under ten million. The revelations have triggered anger and satisfaction among many Hungarians, while some outside observers may view the move as populist. Magyar also pledged far-reaching systemic change, prioritizing reconciliation and justice through moral and legal reckoning with the Orban system.

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