Péter Magyar, the opposition leader who ended Viktor Orbán's 16-year run, has urged a speedy transfer of power after his party's landslide win.
Three days after the election he met President Tamás Sulyok at the presidential palace and asked for the new National Assembly to convene on 4 May, the day official results are expected to be confirmed.
Sulyok said he will call parliament together at the earliest possible moment after the final count and will formally nominate Magyar as prime minister at that first sitting.
Magyar indicated he hoped the new government could be elected in early May, though he pressed for an even faster timetable.
The prime minister-in-waiting also demanded the president step aside, calling him unfit to represent national unity.
Sulyok said he would consider the request.
The meeting had symbolic overtones: Magyar posted a photo of himself with Sulyok on the presidential balcony while Orbán stood on the neighboring balcony at the Karmelita monastery, underscoring the dramatic change in Hungarian politics.
Magyar split from Orbán's camp in March 2024 and built the Tisza party into a broad coalition that captured a two-thirds parliamentary super-majority, sweeping the long-ruling Fidesz from power.
He has vowed to roll back policies critics say eroded democracy and allowed corruption and cronyism to flourish.
Magyar has accused pro-government forces of dominating much of the media landscape and says state outlets had denied him access until recent interviews on national radio and television.
Magyar told broadcasters he plans to suspend current news coverage at state outlets and create a new media regulator to ensure public-service reporting.
He frames the moves as restoring truthful, balanced coverage rather than settling scores.
A major immediate task will be unlocking frozen EU funds.
An estimated €17bn has been suspended over rule-of-law concerns, and Hungary is waiting on roughly €16bn more in defence loans.
Magyar held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as Brussels urged quick steps to restore legal standards.
Orbán is expected to remain caretaker prime minister while the transition proceeds and may still be in office for an informal EU summit on 23-24 April.
EU leaders are also pressing to resolve Hungary's veto on a large aid package for Ukraine; Magyar says the veto is not decisive because Hungary had already opted out of a related loan last December, but it remains unclear how the matter will be settled.
Orbán has so far responded to the defeat by pledging to rebuild his party.
Abroad, former US President Donald Trump described Magyar as a good man and expressed confidence he would perform well in office.
