Opposition leader Magyar rallies support in Szeged, calls for 'two-thirds majority' to unseat Fidesz
SZEGED, Hungary — In a passionate address on Klauzál Square Tuesday, opposition leader Péter Magyar declared that “politics has become sexy” as he rallied supporters and vowed that his Tisza Party would field candidates in all 106 constituencies in the next general election.
Magyar, who opened the event with a recitation of Gyula Juhász’s “Sonnet to Szeged,” set an energetic tone for the rally. He asserted, “Anyone not voting for Tisza is voting to keep Viktor Orbán in power.”
This was Magyar’s second public appearance in Szeged in less than a month. He repeatedly took aim at Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, criticizing the recent unannounced visits by Orbán’s government to the city. “Mr. Prime Minister, there are no barricades here,” he said. “We go out and talk to people.”
The opposition leader also assailed what he called the creation of a new “aristocracy” under Fidesz that prioritizes luxury over the needs of ordinary citizens. “They buy billion-forint jets and vacation in the Maldives with the prime minister’s daughter,” he charged. “Meanwhile, in Tatabánya, people are forced to live on less than 1,000 forints a day.”
He highlighted the nation’s growing public health challenges and rising poverty. “A country where one million people live below the subsistence level cannot be considered normal,” Magyar said, referencing the increase in everyday expenses for essentials like flour, eggs, and cooking oil.
Magyar pledged that the Tisza Party would retain key social benefits such as the 13th-month pension, youth tax incentives, and the southern border fence, while also expanding support for single-parent families. “A child from a one-parent household is just as Hungarian as any other,” he stated.
He also promoted the party’s “Voice of the Nation” referendum campaign, which has reportedly drawn over 800,000 responses. Framing the initiative as a “social contract,” Magyar promised that his movement would be held accountable to its commitments – a stark contrast, he said, to Fidesz’s vague promises.
Citing government mismanagement, Magyar pointed to a significant early-year budget shortfall and alleged misuse of EU funds for agricultural projects. He criticized Fidesz MP Béla Mihálffy for failing to deliver on promised irrigation infrastructure, even with millions allocated for it. “Even the existing canals are being neglected – we’re watching trees grow out of them,” he said.
Looking ahead, Magyar stressed that the goal was not simply to change the government but to govern better. “We’re building a livable, humane country,” he declared. “There will be obstacles. They’ll try everything. But we must go forward, shoulder to shoulder.”
Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify
