It’s a wild ride! Coping with the ups and downs of the Peter Magyar rollercoaster

So far so good. The polls are trending in the right direction. Thousands are turning out at Tisza’s events. Tisza fan clubs are popping up all over the country. Nothing Fidesz tries to do seems to be able to stop Peter Magyar in his tracks. BUT the April 2026 election is a long way a way and for someone who desperately wants the government to change hands there’s this daily unshakeable feeling that something — anything — could still go wrong to bring it all crashing down.

And every so often there’s a little drama that has you catching your breath wondering if this is a moment when Peter loses his support. 

The post-2024 election week when Peter hit the clubs one night, danced with younger women, got carried out of the club in a headlock and then threw someone’s phone in the Danube. That was one of those.

Another was when Fidesz’s Communications Director Tamas Menczer accosted Peter in front of a children’s home and heckled him for about 20 minutes — in front of the full press gallery. In that moment I held my breath wondering if it would lose him votes.

Then there was that time in February 2025 when Peter decided to cancel his much-awaited interview with Robert Puzser the day before it was scheduled, due to some comments Robert made years earlier about pedophilia. Again, it felt like public sentiment might turn on a dime — especially because many Tisza fans really like Robert Puzser and were excited for this show. 

Then there are the times when Peter can be a bit rash. Like when he walked out of a prime time TV interview live on air because the interviewer was being unnecessarily aggressive. Or the time, his 1-year anniversary Partizan interview slid of the rails and went from what could have been a positive discussion to an interrogation within mere minutes and Peter didn’t reign it back in but rather arked up himself.

And we’ve said nothing yet about all of the secret recordings released about Peter where he complains about how tough it is meeting supporters because sometimes they have a stinky mouth.

So what can you do when your teeth are on edge?

1. Remember, the vibe is one where people are forgiving. A March 2025 poll showed that 56% of Hungarians want a change in government. Voters know that Peter is new to this game and rookie mistakes might happen from time to time. The government is attacking him mercilessly and so his mental state with these attacks can sometimes result in him having a level 10 meltdown with interviewers. 

2. Remember, Peter’s “mistakes” (if you can call them that) are nothing compared to Fidesz and Orban’s calculated failure at governing Hungary (while instead stealing the State’s money and assets). What, do you think storming out of a media interview is anywhere near the President of Hungary giving clemency to someone who protected a pedophile? Definitely not! People know this and can weight it up on polling day.

3. Remember, Peter has an army of online supporters that will jump in in his defence. It’s not the bad old days anymore where only Fidesz had an army — Peter won’t be bullied so easily because he does not stand alone.

4. Remember that some of these incidents seemed bad in the first moment and then new polls would come out and show that Tisza had actually gained further percentage points. Menczer attacking Magyar (as Peter was trying to hand out Christmas gifts to kids) backfired as it made the government looked like Goliath bullying David. When Peter was caught clubbing with the ladies until 3am it actually appealed to many everyday Hungarians who like a man’s man who can have a good time. And it made him look authentic.

5. Remember that Peter is a quick learner — after many of these incidents he has been able to modify his behaviour in light of the fact that he is now a public figure and the opposition leader of a nation. For example, after the clubbing incident he apologised and said it wouldn’t happen again and it hasn’t.

6. Remember that people see through Fidesz’s character assassination attempts. In the past, Fidesz’s successful attempts to quell opposition by degrading the person worked but now people seem more immune to believing it. And also, Peter seems to have the unique kind of personality where he seems to enjoy the game. He bites back when he’s accused of something. And gives as good as he gets. He won’t be torn down easily.