Hungary’s political opposition is facing a seismic shake-up. Ferenc Gyurcsány, one of the most controversial figures in the nation’s recent history, is stepping away from public life, while the liberal Momentum party is teetering on the edge of collapse ahead of the 2026 elections.
Gyurcsány’s wife, Klára Dobrev—an MEP and high-ranking Democratic Coalition (DK) member—broke the news on Facebook: after decades at the forefront of Hungarian politics, the former prime minister is resigning from all leadership roles in DK, the party he founded, and exiting politics altogether. As if that wasn’t dramatic enough, Dobrev also announced the end of their 30-year marriage.
According to her post, Gyurcsány wants to shut the door on what she described as years of scapegoating by Hungary’s ruling right wing, which she claims has weaponized his legacy to dodge its own failures. DK’s executive vice president, Csaba Molnár, will serve as interim leader until a new president is elected.
Gyurcsány’s career was defined by highs, lows, and no shortage of controversy. He led Hungary from 2004 to 2009, but his premiership unraveled following his explosive 2006 speech, where he bluntly admitted his government had accomplished “nothing” and had “lied morning, night, and evening.” The backlash was swift and unforgiving. Though he survived the immediate storm, he was eventually replaced and later built DK as a standalone force in opposition. Despite his resilience, DK never came close to toppling Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz machine.
And as Gyurcsány bows out, another opposition firebrand is also calling it quits.
Anna Orosz, a founding member of the Momentum party, has handed in her parliamentary mandate and confirmed she won’t run in 2026. She blamed the government’s crackdown on dissent and admitted to her own missteps, saying she struggled to build support for key issues. “The system twists my arms,” she wrote, suggesting her continued presence in Parliament was doing more harm than good.
Orosz, who had once defeated a major Fidesz figure in Budapest, emphasized her commitment to child protection advocacy, signaling she’ll pursue that mission outside of the legislature.
Meanwhile, Momentum is wrestling with internal strife. Just days ago, five of its MPs, along with independent lawmaker Ákos Hadházy, were suspended from Parliament for using smoke bombs during a protest against a law that could ban Pride events. Their salaries were also cut.
Momentum’s former leader and ex-PM candidate, András Fekete-Győr, warned of a party split if a consensus isn’t reached on whether they should run in 2026. With support stagnating around 2–4%, he believes Momentum must consider stepping aside to avoid splintering the opposition vote and inadvertently handing Fidesz another victory. “We must take one step back so Hungary can take two steps forward,” he told Klubrádió.
He’s also pushing to create a 500 million forint “regime change fund,” aimed at fueling protests, supporting local anti-government media, and helping political targets of the Orbán regime.
The party’s current parliamentary leader, Dávid Bedő, painted an equally bleak picture, admitting he expects Momentum to be shut out of Parliament entirely after the next election—and he won’t be returning either.
With Gyurcsány’s retirement, Orosz’s resignation, and Momentum’s uncertain future, Hungary’s opposition appears to be undergoing a painful reckoning. Whether these changes spark a political rebirth or signal further fragmentation remains to be seen.
