Peter Magyar pledges reforms to restore transparency and fiscal stability as Hungary shifts from Viktor Orban’s investment model
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenXiaofei Xuin ParisPublished: 10:05pm, 13 Apr 2026Hungary’s prime minister-elect Peter Magyar said his goal is to provide a level playing field to all foreign companies, instead of outgoing leader Viktor Orban’s system which favours South Korean and Chinese firms.
At a press conference on Monday, Magyar also urged a “short transition period” and vowed to review “opaque” deals and contracts signed during Orban’s 16-year rule, signalling scrutiny of international partnerships including those with China.
Magyar, commenting on the general situation of Hungary, said the country had been “robbed, indebted and devastated” by Orban’s government.
He also acknowledged Beijing’s congratulatory message, which said China was open to cooperation with his government.
Some Chinese businesses in Hungary – which became the European Union’s top Chinese investment destination under Orban – expressed worries over losing their standing under Magyar’s Hungary.
Robert Zou, general secretary of the Hungarian Chinese Chamber of Commerce, urged calm and said long-term trade ties between Budapest and Beijing would remain positive despite possible short-term policy volatility.
