Magyar said the public needed to see the real condition in which the previous government had handed over the country. He said the situation was worse than expected, arguing that the Orbán government had signed several contracts at the last minute.

He cited several examples, including a HUF 260 billion commitment to the Élvonal Foundation associated with Nobel laureate Ferenc Krausz, HUF 17 bln distributed from the National Cultural Fund, a HUF 1.3 trillion framework contract involving 4iG, and HUF 280 bln in commitments by the Ministry of Construction and Transport under János Lázár.

Magyar also said the general government deficit was much higher than initially indicated. The 2026 budget adopted by the Orbán government had originally projected a 3.7% deficit, later revised to above 5%. According to Magyar, during the government handover, Márton Nagy and his colleagues “whispered” that they were calculating with a deficit of 6.8-7%.

He said this made a full budget review necessary, adding that the process was already underway under Finance Minister András Kármán.

Parliamentary Costs in PM’s Crosshairs

Magyar said spending cuts would also affect Parliament. He pledged that the state would save HUF 50 bln by reducing parliamentary costs alone. As part of the measures, the salaries of the prime minister, ministers, state secretaries, members of Parliament and mayors will also be reduced.

Magyar’s basic gross salary as prime minister will fall to HUF 2.3 million. Together with his basic salary as an MP, his total gross pay will be HUF 3.8 million. By comparison, Viktor Orbán’s most recent gross earnings were HUF 7.8 million.

The salaries of the president of the republic and supervisory board members at state-owned companies will also be reduced, while the number of the latter will be cut. The head of state would still receive the highest salary, but far less than before.

Magyar said the guiding principles would be restraint and humility, because “what we were authorized to do is service,” adding that the aim was not for officeholders to enrich themselves. Fringe benefits will also be reduced.

Magyar also discussed anti-corruption measures, saying the powers of the Integrity Authority would be expanded. He said the most urgent task was to secure approval for transport investments and energy projects, which requires building the necessary structures and adopting the legal framework.

Because of the volume of work and the amount of money involved, “no one in the government will go on vacation this summer,” Magyar said, while thanking officials for their work.

The Tisza government will mark its first 100 days on Aug. 20. Magyar said he would be satisfied if all reviews were completed by then and the public could be informed about the real state of the country.

He said it would not be possible to rebuild everything immediately, but VAT cuts, tax cuts and school-start support could become available within a foreseeable timeframe.