Orbán, who has led Hungary for 16 years straight, took a somber tone all through the interview, describing the aftermath of the election in private phrases. “I felt ache and vacancy,” he stated, including that he has been throwing himself into his work as “occupational remedy” to deal with the shock. “Even I believed we have been going to win,” he admitted.
Magyar has already begun signaling a break with Orbán’s nationalist-populist rule, pledging to relocate the prime minister’s office from Budapest’s Carmelite Palace. Orbán may even skip next week’s informal European Council meeting in Cyprus, in keeping with an EU official who spoke to POLITICO, emphasizing how shortly his lengthy tenure is drawing to a detailed.
Orbán didn’t duck duty for the defeat in his interview. “It’s me. I’m the president of the get together,” he stated, including that he took the result “one hundred pc on myself.” He acknowledged Fidesz had failed to attach with the voters: “I’ve to confess that the opponent’s message was stronger,” he stated, referring to Magyar’s promise of change centered on rooting out corruption and dismantling Orbán’s political machine.
However the defeated prime minister stated he wasn’t going anyplace. His defeat requires a “full renewal” of Fidesz and the broader Hungarian proper, he declared, together with a full overhaul of the get together’s management and illustration in parliament. A celebration meeting is ready for April 28.
“If my group tells me to take a seat within the again row, I’ll … In the event that they inform me to take the workforce onto the sphere, I’ll,” Orbán stated.
Júlia Vadler contributed to this report.
