Hungary: People took to the streets against PM Orban, demanding resignation
- People raised slogans and protested against the Hungarian Prime Minister
- The public opposed the government’s policies
- A large number of people took to the streets in Budapest city of Hungary
Thousands of people took to the streets in Budapest, Hungary. The gathering was against the administration of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The protest was led by former government aide Peter Magyar. Peter Magyar addressed the crowd in the main square, aiming to bring together conservative and liberal Hungarians frustrated by ineffective political opposition.
Slogans like ‘We are not afraid’ were raised demanding Orban’s resignation.
Peter Magyar said in his address that we are taking back our motherland step by step. A new country, a sovereign, modern and European Hungary, is being created. Meanwhile, the crowd chanted ‘Orban resigns and we are not afraid’. Meanwhile, many people held the national flag in their hands. In February Magyar became closer to the government and made controversial comments about the inner workings of Orbán’s administration. Since then he has been continuously protesting against the Orbán administration.
Magyar’s recording has made important revelations.
In March, he posted a recording of a conversation he had with his ex-wife Varga in January 2023. It described how associates of Orbán’s cabinet chief Antal Rogan tried to tamper with prosecutors’ files in a corruption case involving former Justice Ministry state secretary Paul Wallner. According to a media report, Varga says he suggested to prosecutors what should be removed.
Peter Magyar emerges as political challenger to Orbán
Magyar’s divorce from Varga and his loss of employment at several state companies led the Hungarian government to denounce him as an opportunist. However, Magyar’s growing popularity poses a political challenge to Orbán ahead of European Parliament elections in June. It is noteworthy that a rape scandal also came to light in February, in which two prominent political supporters of the Prime Minister, Varga and the former President were removed from their posts.
