Is Viktor Orbán Planning to Run in the Next Elections? Former House Speaker Explains

Former Speaker of the House, László Kövér.

László Kövér, chairman of FIDESZ’s national board, discussed the reasons behind the party’s electoral defeat, mistakes made in engaging with young people, and the future role of party leader Viktor Orbán in an episode released Tuesday on the YouTube channel “KözTér”, reported MTI.

The former Speaker of the House noted that, based on polls, they had anticipated a tight race and believed a victory was still possible even on election day.

We knew it would not be a triumphal march, but we never imagined it would turn into such a crushing defeat; it came as a shocking surprise to us, or at least to me,”

he stated.

He assessed that the defeat was, in effect, “encoded” into the 16-year tenure—noting that no one has ever managed to remain in power for that long under democratic conditions—but he also attributed it to economic growth of less than 1 percent and “a massive foreign conspiracy.” He stated that “an enormous amount of money” had been spent over the years to boost the profiles of figures in the online sphere—all with the aim of accumulating a “sufficient potential for hatred” against FIDESZ by the time the elections arrived, and of “hooking” young people who, in 2026, could be mobilized at rates entirely different from those seen in previous elections.

“A lot of factors converged here, and looking at it from this perspective, I would say we practically stood no chance.”

— he said.

Regarding the state of education, he also admitted that FIDESZ had failed to take several steps it could have taken; for instance, the education system is in a worse state today than it was 16 years ago. However, he argued that the previous administration is not solely responsible for the problems in education, as educators and the educational system have also had to contend with the social burdens resulting from the breakdown of family units.

László Kövér characterized FIDESZ’s election campaign by noting that “old generals always try to fight the previous war”. He also remarked that he detects “the failure of the entire Hungarian intellectual elite”, adding that, in his view, the public has lost faith in the future, as well as its ideals and motivating goals.

László Kövér made several comments regarding the TISZA Party, asserting that its mission is to wipe FIDESZ—”the national side”—off the political map and force Hungary into a European empire; for this reason, he claimed, they have received support from both the “mainstream world” and the “underworld.” He described the situation by stating that

FIDESZ’s rejects have become the elite of TISZA.”

In Kövér’s view, FIDESZ remains the primary force within the civic-conservative camp; having stabilized its support following the elections, it has begun an upward trajectory from its low point—whereas the TISZA party has begun a descent from the “stratosphere.” He added that while people are often reluctant to admit to themselves that they were mistaken, once they realize they have been deceived, they will eventually seek retribution.

Touching upon the future of FIDESZ, he noted that a generational shift is already underway within the party. As for Viktor Orbán, he stated that the Prime Minister “still has quite a few active years ahead of him.” He cautioned, however, that eventually, “biology will necessitate a generational change.”

Addressing the suggestion that Viktor Orbán—in a speech delivered to the “digital civic circles”—had signaled his intention to run in 2030, László Kövér commented that this interpretation is incorrect. Rather, it reflects Orbán’s desire to remain a pivotal figure in shaping the future of the Hungarian right. As for the position in which this might take place, he believes it is still too far off to determine.

Featured Image: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd

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