Tens of thousands of people at demonstrations in Budapest over Orban’s controversial election campaign
Tens of thousands of people protested today in Budapest against the public consultations that the country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban is holding, which, according to the demonstrators, serve party purposes while using public funds.
The Hungarian government plans to launch public consultations on taxation in October, after a pro-government website claimed that the opposition plans to raise taxes if it wins the parliamentary elections in April 2026.
The TISA party of conservative opposition leader Peter Magyar, which is leading in opinion polls, denied having such plans and accused Orban of “spreading lies” ahead of the elections.
Orban regularly organizes consultations in the form of questionnaires that, according to the opposition, are worded very suggestively and aimed at creating the impression of greater support than he and his Fidesz party actually have – reports Danas.
The questionnaires are sent by mail, accompanied by advertisements broadcast on television and online platforms.
According to the organizers, around 50,000 people gathered today at Heroes’ Square in Budapest, while the authorities have not yet released their estimates.
The opposition believes that Orban is conducting a massive consultation campaign to divert attention from public debate and avoid addressing important general political issues.
The most recent campaign, aimed at strengthening Orban’s veto on the opening of European Union (EU) accession negotiations with Ukraine, cost 27.7 million euros, according to the Hungarian weekly HVG.
Orban denies that it is propaganda.
