After Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's election defeat, German activist Maja T., imprisoned in Budapest, has expressed cautious optimism. She hopes it will give Hungary's civil society room to breathe. Her lawyer urges the German government to resume talks with the election winner.
Non-binary activist Maja T., who uses female pronouns, expressed hope to taz from Budapest prison. "That should give civil society and the population room to breathe," she said in a relayed message. Parliamentary election winner Peter Magyar has offered himself as a reliable EU partner and pledged to restore rule of law eroded under Orbán.
Maja T. was arrested in Berlin in December 2023 and extradited to Hungary in June 2024 despite a Federal Constitutional Court emergency ruling. She is accused of attacking far-right scene members in Budapest in February 2023 alongside other activists. In February 2025, Judge Jozsef Sos sentenced her to eight years in prison.
Her lawyer Sven Richwin stated: "Even if rule-of-law reforms will take some time, Maja can at least no longer serve as an anti-European projection screen for Orbán." He called on Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) to resume broken-off talks with Hungary and accelerate her return.
The Foreign Office said the legal situation has not changed but it remains engaged at a high level. Wadephul had announced talks in July 2025, noting Maja T. could face prosecution in Germany too. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) defended the Hungarian verdict.
