Outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave a lengthy interview on the Patrióta channel, his first after his election defeat last Sunday.
Addressing the most pressing issue of what Fidesz needs to change, Orbán stated, as quoted by Magyar Nemzet: “This situation is more than just a matter of changing one or two positions.”
“A complete reewal is needed,” Orbán continued. “We cannot continue as we have been doing so far. As for the extent of the defeat, the numbers speak clearly: the national side received 2.3 million, and the opposing side 3.1 million, so the extent of the defeat is great. A complete renewal is needed; this applies not only to Fidesz, but to the entire national side,” he said, adding that a lot of people will now resign and change positions.
Regarding some things Orbán wished could have happened, he highlighted Hungary’s nuclear energy sector. “Paks II should have been built faster. If this had been possible, the Hungarian economy would be in a better position, and we would have more and cheaper energy now,” he said.
Orbán also addressed election day and how he saw it unravel early on. “After the first turnout results, I saw that there would be trouble, because they showed a different trajectory than we had imagined. We saw that our campaign was not working. Our election calculations assumed a lower turnout; the increase was all protest votes,” he said.
“After that, I went on an emotional roller coaster. An era has ended, and a lot of changes are needed,” he said.
As to disappointed voters, the Fidesz head said they “understand the challenges that Hungary faces. We know that we are familiar with challenges of this magnitude and that we can protect the country against war, energy crisis and migration.” However, he noted that it is not known whether Tisza will be able to protect the country in the same way as they did.
He stressed that there was another uncertainty among people about whether they had voted correctly, to which he responded: “We made the right decision, and we should be proud of our decision.”
“The many tear-stained people on the national side should try to overcome their pain and be proud of everything that has been achieved as national achievements in the past 16 years, and be determined to protect these achievements if they were to be destroyed. Be proud!” he told viewers.
The Fidesz president also spoke about the need to bear defeat with dignity, because they know they made the right decision. “We know that we will have the strength to defend what we have built,” he added. Regarding the teasing and threats from the other side, he emphasized that the most important task is to be able to handle them with dignity.
Orbán made it clear that he hopes the 3.1 million people who voted for the Tisza Party will “have their wishes fulfilled.” He added: “We will never cheer against our own country. We are rooting for our country to survive, to defend its independence, its sovereignty and to find answers to the questions we face.”
🛡️ @PM_ViktorOrban: We will never cheer against our own country. We are rooting for our country to survive, to defend its independence, its sovereignty and to find answers to the questions we face. pic.twitter.com/CCVk7EjHa1
— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) April 16, 2026“The campaign was about what the offer was, of which there were two, one of which was ours. We said that big troubles were coming, that change was dangerous. The other said that change was needed because the current leadership was causing the trouble,” the outgoing prime minister continued.
“We must admit that the second message was the stronger one,” he stated. “I would not change what Fidesz’s message was, because it was honest, it came from the heart, and I spoke directly to everyone. However, I must have said something wrong, because they still chose the other side,” he stated.
“I am responsible for the election defeat, because I am the party chairman. I owe thanks to everyone who worked on this; they are not responsible at all. But politics is such that one person has to take responsibility, and that is me,” the prime minister explained when asked if he could name who was responsible for the election defeat.
While acknowledging mistakes were made, Orbán also asked that achievements of the last 16 years not be overlooked. “Let’s not pretend that the whole country has said it’s had enough of the government. There are many achievements that weren’t there before, such as support for families or the elderly. People didn’t vote for this, but for the future, they said they saw more opportunities in the Tisza Party, but that doesn’t mean that everything has been bad so far.”
The Fidesz president believed that by the end of June, they will have passed the first phase of a complete renewal, including new party officials. “There is still a lot of work ahead of us,” he emphasized.
When asked if he had foreseen the result, Orbán said that if he had foreseen it, he would not have run such a campaign. He himself thought that they would win, as a lot of people gathered at the locations he visited. Orbán said that it would be necessary to analyze carefully why so many people voted against him, but this will take time.
🇭🇺@PM_ViktorOrban: We are evaluating the election, meeting our communities, and preparing for renewal. I've already given out tasks, for example the tasks of the complete renewal of Fidesz, or the timetable for that has been set, and the Presidency has convened the national… pic.twitter.com/zC0rEfxF8H
— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) April 16, 2026Regarding the corruption allegations, he said that they certainly played a role in the Tisza Party’s victory, adding that “now we need to build. What is needed is to analyze the situation and get rid of the bad things.”
The Fidesz president also stated that he has never tolerated corruption, and in every case where suspicion arose, the authorities have always acted, and he has always supported this.
“All laws must be complied with,” said Orbán, and from this he concluded that there is no corruption if this is complied with. If there was a suspicion that seemed to be worthwhile, it was investigated in all areas, and he said that the Hungarian authorities had done a good job in this regard.
As to how Fidesz will stand in opposition, he stated: “I stand with the new government to carry out its message, I support the country so that it does not go badly. We will support all good things. If we experience destruction, we will not accept it and we will vote against it.”
However, Orbán also said he found some of Péter Magyar’s early announcements and rhetoric “worrying.”
“It is not right to call on the President of the Republic elected by the parliament to resign, and it is not right to call on the elected leaders of other state institutions to resign. Persons holding constitutional positions cannot be threatened; if they want to remove them, they should seek legal recourse,” he said.
“We have national achievements that, if destroyed, will make people worse off, not better off, and the new government promises that it will make people better off,” he pointed out. He added that he does not want to assume bad intentions from the government that has not yet been formed, and only based on their decisions, will he be able to see what they seek to achieve.
“We have the strength to protect our achievements if we can renew ourselves. The essence of renewal is that it is not controlled from the center, it must be wanted by the people in the system,” he pointed out.
🇭🇺 @PM_ViktorOrban: Those who supported us should be proud. They voted for a proven force with real achievements and the ability to lead Hungary forward. pic.twitter.com/Dw2SSfvZZU
— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) April 16, 2026He emphasized that he in no way has given up on organizing the national side. “If I am authorized, I will do this work not only with pleasure, but also with happiness,” he stated, adding, “I can tell you where the future lies. The future belongs to the patriots.”
As to his role in Fidesz, Orbán said he is ready to do as told. “Whatever they say, I will do it. If necessary, I will stay in the dugout, if necessary, I will take the team back out onto the field,” he explained.
Fidesz has called an extraordinary caucus for April 28, and according to Viktor Orbán, there will also be a congress to renew the party’s leadership.
