Viktor Orban is no longer at the helm of the Hungarian government, but some of the policies that have defended Budapest’s position on migration for years remain even after the change of government. The most visible symbol is the fence on the southern border.
Although the new Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced changes in relations with the European Union and a different approach to some foreign policy, he made it clear before taking office that Hungary would remain strict on illegal migration and that the border fence would remain.
This is perhaps the most interesting paradox of the political change in Budapest. What was one of Orban’s most criticized policies for years cannot simply be erased today. Under Orban, Hungary erected a physical barrier along its southern border in 2015, during the period of the great migrant crisis in Europe. At the time, Budapest was heavily criticized by some European politicians for its decision to close the border to illegal crossings.
Orban, however, has insisted for years that protecting the national border is the state’s first obligation. Today, after the change of government, the fence remains. Even in the new political context, the Hungarian government continues to oppose the mandatory distribution of migrants among EU member states. In 2026, Budapest once again announced that it would not accept the European migration pact in its current form.
This is precisely where you can see how deeply migration policy has become embedded in Hungarian politics. Magyar came to power with a promise of change after 16 years of Orbán’s rule, but even his government must take into account the reality of the Hungarian border and the attitude of a significant part of Hungarian society.
The new government wants better relations with Brussels and a different approach to the European Union, but when it comes to illegal migration, the space for a complete turnaround is much smaller. And that is precisely why Orbán’s legacy on this issue is perhaps stronger than it seemed after his election defeat.
It is even more certain that the European debate on migration today looks different than it did in 2015. Policies to protect external borders, limit illegal crossings and increase control over migration are increasingly part of the European political agenda.
What Orban has been pushing for alone for years is now being considered by other European governments. That is why the story of Hungary is not just a story of the fall of a long-serving prime minister. It is also a story of how a policy can survive a political defeat. Orban lost power, but his border policy did not disappear with him.
