The moment of opportunity and responsibility

The outcome of yesterday’s elections reflects the resilience of Hungarian society – voters, independent media, and civil society actors who have kept democratic norms visible under sustained pressure. It is the result of more than a decade of civic effort in an increasingly restrictive environment.

We note Péter Magyar’s commitment to dismantle institutional distortions and rebuild a democratic, pluralistic constitutional order. This ambition is both welcome and necessary.

We also recognise that the task ahead goes beyond institutional redesign. The rule of law is not only about formal structures, but about public ethos: a shared expectation of fairness, restraint, and accountability. The demand for a “functioning, humane Hungary” has been a unifying force behind this outcome.

Now we must dismantle entrenched practices that have undermined rights and the rule of law, while rebuilding institutions capable of sustaining them, including independent media and effective checks and balances. This is a moment of opportunity and responsibility: democratic renewal begins with the election, but depends on sustained commitment thereafter.

As Hungary’s largest and oldest human rights watchdog, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee will continue to act as an independent organisation. We bring nearly four decades of experience in strategic litigation, monitoring, and international advocacy across rule of law, judicial independence, civic space, detention conditions, and asylum.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee will closely follow legal and institutional developments, assess compliance with European and international standards, and put forward concrete proposals to restore the rule of law in practice. We stand ready to engage in professional dialogue with a government committed to democratic reconstruction, while maintaining our independence.

We thank all our partners for their sustained support. Your engagement has enabled us to bring individual and systemic rights violations, and the deliberate dismantling of the rule of law, before courts in Hungary and beyond, and to international fora. Your solidarity has been essential to this effort.

It is clear: the end of one political chapter does not in itself restore the rule of law. The real test lies in implementation – whether commitments translate into durable institutional practice. We will approach this period with openness, and with the clarity and consistency it requires.