Peter Mađar: For me, politics is about the people, their wishes and hopes

Hungary's new Prime Minister Peter Magyar said that for him, politics is about the people, their wishes, their hopes, adding that he considers this to be democracy, the Swiss newspaper La Tribune de Geneve reported today.

The Hungarian has chosen Italy as the first stop on his trip abroad. Before meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, the Hungarian Prime Minister chose to be accompanied by Tamás Ivan Topolansky, a filmmaker who had believed in him from the very beginning, to the Riviera International Film Festival in Sestri Levante, near Genoa.

Topolanski directed a film about the Hungarian's "long march", "Spring Wind - The Awakening", which contributed to his unexpected victory over Viktor Orban, reported the Tribune de Genève.

For his first international interview since the election, the Hungarian gave interviews only to the Italian Republic ("La Repubblica") and another Italian newspaper. He explicitly requested that no political questions be asked, but only those related to the film. However, since it is a political film, the interview inevitably took that route, the Swiss newspaper reports.

When asked if the role of the film was the secret in the victory over Orban, the Hungarian said that behind his victory was a huge amount of work with around 50.000 volunteers.

"I met thousands of citizens. We did a huge amount of work with 50.000 volunteers. It is clear that today it is no longer enough to hold press conferences, give television interviews or use social media. We have to roll up our sleeves, work hard and continue to meet people," said the Hungarian.

He said that for him, "politics is about people, their desires, their hopes. That's what democracy is, and in many countries, citizens, people, have disappeared from politics, even though they are the most important thing."

When asked whether he would send the former authorities to prison, as he states in the documentary, the Hungarian replied that that was not his role, but the role of the judiciary.

"That is not my role. That is the role of the judges. What we can do, or rather, what we have a responsibility to do, is to restore the independence of the judiciary, perhaps create new anti-corruption bodies and bring Hungary into the European Anti-Fraud Office. But it is not up to a politician or a prime minister to send someone to prison. Of course, I know perfectly well what I said, I know what Hungarians expect from me," the new prime minister said.

The Hungarian said he has a two-thirds majority in parliament, which will allow for the restoration of democracy and the rule of law. He added that it is not enough to change the leaders of institutions, but to change the system.

"However, we must be careful in restoring democracy: all criteria and all decisions must support the rule of law. And the current representatives must listen to the voice of the people, respect the results of the elections," the prime minister said.