Péter Magyar's path to challenging Viktor Orban on Sunday required him to first defeat a different opponent: Hungary's own fractured opposition. The Tisza party leader has spent months pressuring smaller opposition parties to stand down, accusing them of helping Orban retain power if they insist on running separately. His predecessor, Péter Márki-Zay, calls the approach necessary.

"Half of them are stupid, the other half are traitors. So why deal with the old opposition?" Márki-Zay told Politico in an interview from Hódmezővásárhely, the town where he serves as mayor, "Hvylya" reports, citing Politico.

The strategy grew from Márki-Zay's 2022 experience. He led a broad umbrella coalition against Orban that year, but the alliance disintegrated on election night amid accusations of betrayal. Magyar concluded that coalitions were a structural liability - and that many opposition figures were either incompetent or quietly benefiting from the status quo under Fidesz.

Magyar has barred anyone with a political background from joining Tisza, fearing they could be saboteurs planted by Orban's camp. "It was clear that there were key people trying to derail the campaign," said Gary Akos, Márki-Zay's former campaign manager. Márki-Zay himself recalled banning one suspicious operative from his 2022 campaign, "but others brought him back, so that was chaos in itself."

The consolidation strategy also exploits Hungary's electoral system, which compensates large parties more generously than coalitions of smaller ones. Facing public-financing incentives that reward running independently, Magyar leaned on rival parties to withdraw entirely. Those who refused say they have faced online harassment from Tisza supporters, and the party has challenged some candidates' registrations in court.

Márki-Zay views Magyar's approach as necessary rather than ideal, saying it is "a good thing" he bypassed the existing parties because "he doesn't have the burden of the corruption and the bad reputation" of the old opposition. Despite personal reservations about Magyar's personality - he considers him "arrogant" and "self-centered" - Márki-Zay wants him to win. "Right now, his job is to defeat Fidesz and put all these criminals behind bars," he said. "If he does it, we will erect a statue here in Hódmezővásárhely."

Earlier, "Hvylya" reported on how Magyar transformed from Orban insider to his most dangerous challenger.