Just a few years ago, Peter Magyar applauded Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's speeches from a front row seat before emerging as the nationalist leader's most serious challenger in his 16 years in power.

"They called me the 'eternal opposition' within [Orban's party] Fidesz," he told AFP soon after bursting into prominence in 2024 as the government faced a presidential pardon scandal involving a child abuser's accomplice.