Hungary’s opposition leader told supporters he will restore Western alliances if he defeats incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.
ADVERTISEMENT
The leader of Hungary's largest opposition party on Sunday told thousands of supporters that he would guide his country out of international isolation if he defeats Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in next year's elections.
Péter Magyar, the leader of the Respect and Freedom or Tisza party, has become the most serious challenger to Orbán's power since the right-wing leader took office in 2010.
Recent polling suggests that Tisza has overtaken Orbán's Fidesz party as Hungary struggles with a stagnating economy and has been politically sidelined in the European Union over Orbán's policies.
Speaking at a rally in Budapest on Sunday, Magyar said that, if elected, he would restore Hungary's relationships and reputation among its allies that have suffered as Orbán has attacked the EU and pursued close relationships with autocracies like Russia and China.
“We will finally put our common affairs in order,” Magyar said. "Our homeland, Hungary, will once again be a proud and reliable ally of NATO. Hungary will once again be a full-fledged member of the European Union,” Magyar emphasised.
Orbán, a self-described “illiberal” leader, has been accused by critics of leading Hungary out of the community of European democracies by eroding democratic institutions, violating judicial independence and taking over much of Hungary's media.
Since taking power in 2010, he and his Fidesz party have led the country with a two-thirds majority in parliament, and easily defeated any opposition.
But recent polls suggest that Tisza has pulled ahead of Fidesz in popularity as Magyar's campaign focuses on economic and social issues facing the country like persistent inflation, a poor healthcare system and alleged government corruption.
At the rally, Nóra Farkas, a supporter of Magyar, said she had hoped for Orbán's defeat in Hungary's last national elections in 2022. However, with around a year before the next ballot, she is more confident that change is possible.
“Anyone who thinks things are going well in this country is blind. Orbán and his circle are the main reason for the problems," she said.
Magyar said Orbán's system “cannot be reformed, cannot be fixed, cannot be improved. This system can only be replaced, and that is what we will do — lawfully, democratically, but with determination, we will cut down the regime.”