Hungary’s New Political Landscape — What Does It Mean for Climate Action?

A different future now awaits Hungary, one of Central and Eastern Europe’s most defining nations, which is undergoing a historic transformation following the results of its April 12th election. The country’s political landscape was fundamentally rewritten when Fidesz — the entrenched system led by Viktor Orbán whic held power for 16 years — lost the election. The Tisza Party, founded just two years ago under the leadership of Péter Magyar, secured a decisive victory with a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

This joint event, hosted by CCA Political Pod and CCA Hungary, will explore what exactly unfolded in Hungary on April 12th and in the months since: the shifting political climate, the mood across the country, and the new measures and policies already beginning to emerge — with particular attention to developments in environmental policy. Shaping Tomorrow Playbook – Climate Coaching Alliance 

Csilla Sztarinka will give a short overview of how this political shift is impacting climate policy, drawing on the Power of Storytelling chapter from our Shaping Tomorrow Playbook to highlight its relevance to this unfolding narrative. 

Three distinguished guests will then share their own perspectives on Hungarian politics, how the new government, the Tisza Party, won the election, and how this transforms the country’s climate agenda.

Stefano Bottoni is Associate Professor of History at University of Florence. Between 2009 and 2019, he was Senior Research Fellow at the Research Center for Humanities of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. His studies range from Soviet-type nationality policies to post-Communist transition in Hungary. He is the author of “Orbán, a despot in Europe”.

Gergő Papp was born in 1991. He earned a degree in political science from Corvinus University of Budapest. He is a campaign strategist and founder of the political consulting firm Agenda Setting. He gained experience as a consultant for national, European, and municipal election campaigns, and worked for several years for the communications team of the Momentum Movement. He wrote “Kiáradt – A Tisza útja a győzelemig” (“Overflowed – Tisza’s Road to Victory”).

Prof. Dr. József Steier — economist, energy engineer, agricultural engineer, climate researcher and innovator, and CEO of SUNWO Zrt. — has spent several decades working on practical, technological, and economic responses to climate change. His work focuses on connecting renewable energy, CO₂ management, water management, and agriculture, as well as developing complex water–energy–food systems, in both domestic and international projects — particularly in Africa.

Photo: PAP/EPA/Zsolt Czegledi