Hungary’s new PM apologises to those wronged under Orbán in first speech

Moments after he was sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister , Péter Magyar apologised to those who had been maligned by the state during Viktor Orbán’s time in power as questions continue to swirl over what lies ahead for the country as it launches into a new era. Magyar used his first speech as prime minister on Saturday to address the many in Hungary who had paid a personal price for speaking up about the steady erosion of rights under Orbán and his Fidesz party. “I apologise to all those civilians, teachers, journalists, health workers and public figures who have been stigmatised, harassed, or treated as enemies for daring to speak out, for daring to stand up for the vulnerable, for criticising, or for simply expressing a different opinion,” he said. “I apologise.” It was a poignant nod to how Orbán, arguably the world’s most successful populist leader, had targeted civil society groups and media outlets critical of his government for years, launching investigations , smear campaigns and bogging them down in bureaucracy. Those who went against the former leader at times ended up in court. The liberal mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, and a Roma organiser in Pécs were charged for organising Pride marches – a first in the EU. One of the country’s most prominent investigative journalists was charged with espionage. …