Hungary’s New Leader Targets Anti-Roma Hate. Will It Change Anything?

Under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary’s Roma community remained at the bottom of the social ladder. Now, his successor is taking a public stand against antiziganism—a specific form of racism targeting Roma people. The new government has signaled a shift in tone. But the question remains: can Hungarian Roma expect fundamental changes to their daily lives? Experts note that decades of systemic exclusion will not be reversed overnight. While the new leader’s rhetoric is a break from the past, concrete policies and enforcement will determine whether life truly improves for the country’s largest ethnic minority.