DER SPIEGEL: You started out two years ago as a political nobody and have now managed to defeat none other than Viktor Orbán, the longest-serving head of government in the European Union, a leader who hollowed out democracy in his own country. Was there a single moment when you thought: This could actually work?

Magyar: I never actually wanted to go into politics. I was once a member of Orbán's party, Fidesz, but I then fell out with the system. In February 2024, I gave an interview to the online outlet Partizán. Nearly 3 million people watched it, which genuinely surprised me. A month later, I organized a demonstration against corruption and cronyism – and 50,000 people showed up. Just three weeks after that, it was 200,000. Maybe that was the moment.

DER SPIEGEL relies on support from its readers. To enjoy the rest of this story, please consider signing up for a subscription to The German View, our English-language channel on Substack. The article can be found here  and our Substack channel can be found here  . Alternatively, you can sign up for a SPIEGEL+ subscription below.

DER SPIEGEL: And yet Orbán's people controlled the bulk of the media and the state apparatus…

Magyar: I was always very skeptical about whether you could actually win against such headwinds, let alone with the kind of majority we ultimately achieved. I only became truly optimistic in the second half of 2025.