Orbán Exits Parliament After 36 Years, Names Gulyás as Opposition Leader

Viktor Orbán announced on April 25, 2026 that he would not take up his parliamentary seat following his landslide election defeat, ending 36 years of near-continuous parliamentary service since 1990. Orbán said he would remain as Fidesz party leader and rebuild Hungary's 'national side' from outside the legislature. Gergely Gulyás — the former Minister of the Prime Minister's Cabinet — will lead the Fidesz parliamentary faction as opposition leader. The move was described as seismic: Orbán had personally dominated Hungarian parliamentary life for three decades, and stepping out while retaining party leadership reflects a deliberate positioning for eventual return.