Magyar said the government would replace sprawling super-ministries with clear, focused portfolios, with each key area assigned its own ministry or state secretariat.

He noted that the list of ministries also defines the government's priorities. The prime minister added that while all ministers were equal partners, some portfolios such as health, justice, education and child welfare, and finance played a pivotal role in the process of changing the system and faced the most complex and challenging tasks and would have formal authority to block government decisions that fell within their strategic or high-stakes policy areas.

Magyar: Tisza government will serve the nation, not the PM

The Tisza government will serve the nation, not the prime minister, and its cabinet consists of ministers who have already proven themselves in their fields and are capable of making decisions from day one, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said in a speech introducing his cabinet to parliament on Tuesday.

Magyar recalled that exactly one month ago, on April 12, Hungarians granted the Tisza Party a historic mandate. With unprecedented turnout, they delivered a clear verdict, he said, declaring that they wanted change and thanking the public for their advance of trust.

He rejected arguments that voters did not know what or whom they were voting for, stressing that unlike the outgoing, "failed" ruling party, the Tisza's goals had been clear and addressed Hungary's real problems.

Comparing the "shocking state" of child protection institutions and hospitals he had seen during his campaign with the luxury standards of government and ministry buildings he recently visited, Magyar said: "While Hungary was crippled, plundered, and abandoned, the outgoing government spent over 1,000 billion forints (EUR 2.6bn) upgrading its own buildings and ministries to luxury standards."

Magyar cited as examples the Carmelite Monastery that housed the prime minister's office, saying the "Carmelite Palace" had served as the prime minister's residence too, as well as Antal Rogan's "luxury ministry" for the Prime Minister's Office, and the new Interior Ministry building.

The previous government, he said, knew hundreds were freezing to death in unheated homes each winter and saw the conditions in which the most abandoned children lived, yet they continued to enjoy the luxury they had allocated for themselves from billions in public funds.

Magyar called the previous government's actions in respect of the country and public funds "a disgrace", and put it to Fidesz MPs in opposition and their colleagues "who lack the courage to take up their seats" to ask themselves how they could "look in the mirror each morning" and live with their conscience.

"You built luxury palaces for yourselves with the Hungarian people's money while millions suffered… You brought shame on what democratic representation means in Hungary."

Healing these wounds would be a long road ahead, but his government was ready to begin the work, he said.

Magyar said the new government's goal was to build a functional, humane Hungary, and its structure was set up to serve this purpose, adding that the Tisza government would function as a team, with clear responsibilities and transparent decisions, as this is the only way to restore trust in the state, which, he added, had been lost in recent years.

He said the government would replace sprawling super-ministries with clear, focused portfolios, with each key area assigned its own ministry or state secretariat.

The ministers of health, justice, education and child welfare, and finance will each hold veto power in government decision-making, Magyar said. While all ministers were equal partners, he added, some portfolios -- health, justice, education and child welfare, and finance - played a pivotal role in the process of changing the system and faced the most complex and challenging tasks.

Turning to his cabinet, Magyar said he had asked Zsolt Hegedus to lead and reorganise the health ministry.

"Few experts in Hungary today understand the daily operational problems of health care, the structural flaws of the institutional system, and the real situation of the medical profession as he does," Magyar said, adding that Hegedus, a doctor, had worked for decades to make Hungarian health care more transparent, humane, and professionally sustainable.

The goal, he said, was to ensure that the state could guarantee safe, accessible, and high-quality health care for all Hungarians.

He pledged to increase state health-care spending by at least 500 billion forints annually and launch scholarship programmes for the most critically affected professions.

Magyar also announced that Marta Gorog will serve as justice minister. As dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences at the University of Szeged, her scholarly and professional work over the past decades had proven her expertise and institution-building ability, he said, adding that she faced a monumental task, as the rule of law had been "systematically dismantled" over the past decades, with power trouncing the law, private interests overriding legislation, and brute force superseding constitutionalism.

"One of the vital tasks ahead is the moral and institutional restoration of Hungary's rule of law," Magyar declared. "We must build a country where the power of the law is stronger than the power of the state, where the public interest takes precedence over private interest, and where trust in the justice system once again becomes a natural part of Hungarians' lives."

Magyar said Judit Lanner, hitherto involved in educational research for more than three decades, will head the ministry of education and youth affairs.

He added that she placed particular importance on addressing educational inequalities, improving the performance of the school system, and addressing the status of the teaching profession.

As a researcher and analyst, she has closely observed and tracked how "Hungary has been torn in two, even in the classroom," he said.

Lannert, he added, would work towards an education system that began with early childhood education, where children would learn to ask questions, think, and collaborate instead of feeling anxious, he said, adding that she would work for an education system "in which educators, including nursery nurses, preschool teachers, or school teachers, are among the most respected members of Hungarian society."

He said Andras Karman, the new minister of finance, "has worked as one of the most qualified experts in Hungarian economic and financial life over the past decades." He added that Karman had gained significant experience in public administration, public finance, financial stability, and economic policy planning.

"He is taking on a difficult … legacy, the true depths of which are only now beginning to unfold before us," Magyar said. He added that the government would launch a tax-reduction programme, raise pensions and social benefits, while at the same time restoring the Hungarian state's financial credibility and securing EU funds.

Magyar said Anita Orban, the new foreign minister and deputy prime minister, was a politician, diplomat, energy-policy expert, and international corporate executive who had outstanding experience and a precise understanding of how international decision-making worked.

She has been tasked with making Hungary a strong ally and a country that takes the initiative once again, Magyar said, adding that the government's goal was to restore and strengthen the country's international relations.

"We intend to once again become a respected and proactive member of the Western alliance system, while consistently representing Hungarian national interests in the European Union and NATO," Magyar said, adding that Visegrad cooperation should be rebuilt, since "the peoples of central Europe are stronger together than they are apart".

He said Balint Ruff, the new minister heading the Prime Minister's Office, was endowed with administrative experience, strategic thinking, and public service that made him "exceptionally well-suited to be one of the key figures coordinating the transition".

"The Prime Minister's Office is not viewed as an imperial centre, nor as a giant octopus that subsumes everything under itself. Neither is it seen as an executive machine for the Prime Minister's will, or a propaganda factory, a centre for producing false national consultations and megalomaniacal power schemes," Magyar said.

The Prime Minister's Office must function as the "streamlined brain" of the Hungarian state, he said. He outlined its tasks as coordinating the work of the transition, ensuring that government decisions are swift, clear, and professionally sound, and enabling the state to once again plan, execute, and think long-term.

Magyar once again called on public officials and institutional leaders present in the room, and who had previously been asked to resign, to step down. He referred to them as "Orban's puppets", adding that, in his view, they had significantly contributed to dismantling the rule of law and democracy. He called on them to quit by May 31.

Magyar said Szabolcs Bona will serve as minister of agriculture and food economy, adding that Bona had gained decades of experience as an agricultural engineer and corporate executive in the fields of crop production, animal husbandry, agricultural trade, and agricultural financing. He described him as "not only a great professional and patriot, but also a stubborn man".

The Hungarian countryside and agricultural sector need someone like this, he said, "someone who does not bow down at the first sign of difficulty, who knows what it feels like to work through an entire year knowing that a single hailstorm, drought, disease, or bad decision can ruin months or even years of work."

Bona will work to restore honour, security, and a future to Hungarian agriculture and the food industry, he said.

It must make sense for the next generation to stay in the countryside, farm, start a family, and pass on the knowledge that has sustained this country for centuries, he added.

Magyar described Gabor Posfai, the new interior minister, as someone who has led large organisations both in Hungary and abroad throughout his career -- an operational leader, "who knows exactly how to run complex systems effectively and humanely at the same time".

The prime minister said that in recent years, thousands of police officers, firefighters, correctional officers, and intelligence agency staff in Hungary had learned what it felt like when politics took over, dominated, and rendered their professions impossible.

The goal was for law enforcement to once again serve exclusively the law and the security of the Hungarian people, he added.

Together with the minister, he pledged the government would restore respect for law enforcement officers and create predictable career paths and a professional working environment for them. In the field of sports, the focus would be on training the next generation, supporting recreational sports, and creating a healthier society, he said.

Magyar noted that Laszlo Gajdos, who will lead the newly created ministry for the living environment, had headed the Nyiregyhaza Zoo for nearly three decades, buiding an internationally recognised institution. 

"All of Hungary has learned that when Laszlo Gajdos commits his heart, soul, and expertise, success follows," he added.

He called it "incomprehensible" that Hungary, a country with a unique natural heritage threatened by climate change, desertification, and unparalleled biodiversity, had not had a dedicated ministry for environmental protection for the past decade and a half.

The prime minister expressed confidence that Gajdos would forge a true national consensus on this unifying issue and demonstrate that protecting the living environment was "the essence of tangible patriotism".

Magyar said Istvan Kapitany, the new minister of economic and energy affairs, faced the monumental task of breaking Hungary free from an economic model built on cheap labour, assembly-line factories, and the artificial empowerment of a narrow elite.

The Hungarian economy, he added, must now prioritise productivity, innovation, technological development, and high-value Hungarian expertise.

He said Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, the new defence minister, had been tasked with restoring the professional prestige, respect, and combat readiness of the Hungarian Armed Forces, so that soldiers once again felt the country's trust, respect, and appreciation for their service.

His mission, Magyar added, was to ensure Hungary had a defence force that inspired "confidence and pride" in its citizens every day.

David Vitezy, the new transport and investment minister, he said, would tackle a sector in "deep operational crisis".

While other European countries built 21st-century transport systems, the outgoing minister "focused on building his own empire". Vitezy's task was to make railways a symbol of Hungarian modernisation again, ensure rural Hungarians no longer felt punished for needing transport, make Hungary's roads passable, and ensure investments served the public good rather than political prestige or private interests, he added.

Introducing Vilmos Katai-Nemeth as the social and family affairs minister, Magyar noted that he is Hungary's first visually impaired minister. 

"Perhaps this is why he understands more acutely what the state has chosen to ignore in recent years," Magyar said, adding that the queues of abandoned Hungarians were "endlessly long". His mission would be to make social policy a domain of genuine care and state responsibility, he declared.

The minister's priorities will include strengthening child protection, elder care, support for people with disabilities, and the security of Hungarian families, he said.

For Zoltan Tarr, the new minister for social relations and culture, "the goal is to build a country where culture unites, communities grow stronger, civil society is respected, and every Hungarian -- whether in Budapest, a remote village, or beyond the borders -- belongs to the same nation," he said.

Zoltan Tanacs, the new science and technology minister, will work to restore national confidence, uplift the country, and build a shared future through science and technology, Magyar said.

Viktoria Lorincz, the new minister of rural and settlement development, will "restore the Hungarian countryside's self-esteem, strength, and freedom to make decisions," he said. The government, he added, would return powers and institutions to local governments, reduce regional inequalities, and strengthen local communities.

The prime minister again described the task ahead as historic in scale: reversing two decades of destruction, division, stagnation, and lost trust while transforming Hungary into a functional, liveable country that believes in itself.

"We do not claim we will not make mistakes -- we will, and when we do, we will admit to them," he said, urging MPs to support the government's work with proposals, criticism, and by highlighting real problems.

There will be debates, he acknowledged, but "all voices -- the Hungarian people's and the experts' -- will be heard."

Magyar called on every Hungarian, regardless of which party they voted for, to monitor the government's work, hold it accountable, debate its actions, and speak out if it strayed from the path they were "now embarking on together".

"Hungary is the common home of every Hungarian, and the government being formed today will be the government of every Hungarian," the prime minister declared.

Magyar: Govt faces work of historic proportions

Prime Minister Peter Magyar on Tuesday described the task ahead for his government as "work of historic proportions".

Introducing his cabinet to parliament, Magyar said they must repair two decades of destruction, division, decline, and lost trust while transforming Hungary into a functional, liveable country that believed in itself again.

"We do not claim we will not make mistakes -- we will, and when we do, we will admit to making them," he said, urging MPs to support the government's work with their proposals, criticism, and by highlighting real problems.

Magyar called on every Hungarian -- whether they voted for the Tisza Party or not -- to monitor the government's work, hold it accountable, debate its actions, and speak out if it strayed from the path they were now embarking on together.

"Hungary is the common home of every Hungarian, and the government being formed today will be the government of every Hungarian," he declared.

Ministers of Tisza govt take oath of office

The sixteen ministers of the Tisza government took their oath of office on Tuesday afternoon in parliament.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar introduced the ministers at the parliamentary session, who then took their oath in a ceremony before the historic flags and signed the relevant documents.

The ministerial nominees were heard on Monday and Tuesday morning by the parliamentary committees with authority over their respective portfolios, and the committees supported the appointment of all sixteen nominees.

The ministers were appointed by the head of state in the early afternoon at the recommendation of the prime minister. Speaker of Parliament Agnes Forsthoffer announced at the session that, in accordance with the Fundamental Law, the government of Hungary has been formed with the appointment of the ministers.

President Sulyok wishes new govt 'worthy service to the nation'

President Tamas Sulyok on Tuesday appointed the new government's ministers and wished its members and the newly elected MPs "strength and worthy service to the nation", the presidential Sandor Palace announced after the president handed letters of appointment to the 16 ministers at a swearing-in ceremony.

The presidency's role, the statement said, was to ensure the continuity of Hungary's democratic functioning during transitions between parliamentary and government cycles.

In this capacity, it noted, the president convenes the inaugural session of parliament, nominates the prime minister, and appoints ministers and state secretaries.

As with the general election that preceded it, the April 12 vote was followed by President Sulyok fulfilling all constitutional obligations, the palace said.

In recent days, it noted, the new parliament was formed, Peter Magyar elected prime minister, and on Tuesday -- following Magyar's nominations - the president appointed the ministers. "Thus, the new government will be formed tomorrow," it added.

The appointment of state secretaries will follow in the coming days, based on the prime minister's submissions.

Retvari: Ministerial hearings lacked concrete pledges or deadlines

Bence Retvari, leader of the parliamentary group of the Christian Democrats (KDNP), said on Tuesday that no progress had been made after the ministerial confirmation hearings, as not a single statement included concrete commitments, deadlines, or financial figures.

In a Facebook post, Retvari criticised the lack of clarity on the ministers' plans and priorities. "We know little more now than we did two days ago," he said, adding that the hearings featured "more selfies than substance".

The Christian Democrats, he said, remained constructively engaged and would give the ministers a chance to prove themselves. While the party supported some nominees, it abstained or voted against most, he added.

Retvari insisted that despite Tisza leader Peter Magyar's inauguration as prime minister last week, the focus remained on campaign-style social media agitation rather than governance.

He said they awaited Wednesday's first cabinet meeting and its announcement of a petrol price of 480 forints, a key campaign pledge.

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com

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