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Hungary’s opposition leader Péter Magyar branded Prime Minister Viktor Orbán a traitor and accused him of enlisting Russian agents to interfere in the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
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Magyar delivered the remarks at a rally in central Budapest marking Hungary’s national day, which commemorates the 1848 uprising against Habsburg rule, a revolt that was ultimately crushed by the Russian Empire.
Hungary goes to the polls on 12 April. Magyar’s Tisza Party leads Orbán’s Fidesz in most opinion polls. Fidesz has governed Hungary with an absolute parliamentary majority since 2010.
“Orbán invited the most skilled Russian agents to our country to interfere in the elections and once again rob us of our most sacred possession, Hungarian freedom, for which our ancestors gave their lives,” Magyar said.
He was referring to press reports alleging that Russia has deployed a team of agents from its Budapest embassy to influence the electoral campaign in Orbán’s favour. Russia has denied the allegations.
“Lies, deception and harassment, that is what they have in store for us. Viktor Orbán betrayed Hungarian freedom for thirty pieces of silver, for himself and his dynasty. Shame, shame, shame,” Magyar said.
Magyar also took direct aim at Orbán’s campaign narrative, in which the prime minister portrays himself as the guarantor of peace and stability while casting the opposition as willing to drag Hungary into war.
“To provoke war, to threaten war, to incite war — this is his last weapon against the Hungarians, deployed to keep himself in power,” Magyar said. His Tisza Party, he added, stands firmly against any form of military involvement.
“We don’t want war, we don’t want war,” he said.
Opposition focuses on the cost of living
Magyar also devoted a significant portion of his speech to economic issues, pledging to improve living standards and address the cost-of-living pressures facing Hungarian households.
“Viktor Orbán is a traitor who betrayed our common future. He did not build a country, but his own dominion. He did not elevate the homeland, but made it the poorest and most corrupt country in the EU,” Magyar said.
He added that his future government aims to bring back EU funding earmarked for Hungary, currently frozen over concerns about corruption and the rule of law.
Magyar also promised to prioritise the repair of public services if his party wins the election.
“Citizens are entitled to the best available public healthcare, wherever they live. They are entitled not to die prematurely from preventable diseases, and not to wait years for a routine examination,” Magyar said.
The opposition leader also pledged to introduce a two-term limit on the office of prime minister should Tisza come to power.
