Hungary's new Prime Minister Péter Magyar on Friday personally removed the fencing around a historic building in Budapest that had served as the office of his autocratic predecessor, Viktor Orbán. The Karmelita, a former Catholic monastery located on Castle Hill overlooking the Danube, became a symbol of Orbán's rule after it was cordoned off in 2021.
Symbolic Act of Openness
Magyar announced that the building will be open to the public for an extended period while authorities decide on its future role. "There is no place for cordons in Hungary after the change of regime," he told reporters as he pushed open the fences. He emphasized that the institutions were built with Hungarian taxpayers' money and made beautiful with those funds.
Magyar and his center-right Tisza party swept Orbán from power in an April election, securing a two-thirds majority that provided a clear mandate for major reforms after Orbán's 16-year rule.
Restoring Democratic Institutions
Magyar has vowed to restore democratic institutions and governmental checks and balances that were heavily eroded under Orbán. He also pledged to clamp down on alleged corruption. He has revealed luxury renovations carried out by former government members in their offices. Magyar himself plans to move his seat to the administrative part of the city on the opposite bank of the Danube.
The Karmelita building, he said, will now be accessible for an "extensive period." A website has been set up where visitors can book tours. Magyar noted that some buildings in the castle zone have been renovated while others are under construction. The situation, he added, "is likely to generate a number of new ideas."
Repairing EU Ties
The prime minister has promised to repair Hungary's ties with its European Union partners and restore the country's place among Western democracies. He plans to form a National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, an authority tasked with investigating and recovering public funds misused during Orbán's tenure.
