Thousands rally against Hungary's Orbán in Budapest

Thousands rally against Hungary’s Orbán in Budapest

Opposition leader Péter Magyar has announced a counter-referendum challenging Orbán’s EU demands and two-decade rule, while the Prime Minister simultaneously vowed to eliminate “foreign-funded” media and NGOs, comparing them to “insects” that need clearing.

byOlena Mukhina

16/03/2025

2 minute read

On 15 March, several thousand people gathered at a rally against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest, organized by the opposition party Tisza.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been a vocal critic of EU efforts to support Ukraine, opposing military aid and EU and NATO accession talks. He has also used Hungary’s veto power to stall key EU decisions on Ukraine, including sanctions against Russia. The country’s alignment with Russian narratives and its close ties with Vladimir Putin has led to tensions with Ukraine.

During the protest, Tisza leader Péter Magyar announced a public referendum Voice of the Nation, set to run from 24 March to 11 April. It will include 12 questions, presented as a response to Orbán’s own 12 demands to Brussels, one of which is “Union without Ukraine.”

Among the questions, Hungarians will be asked whether they support Hungary remaining a member of both the European Union and NATO and whether they agree that the prime minister should be limited to a maximum of eight years in office — Orbán has held the position since 2010.

Earlier on the same day, Orbán presented his list of demands to the EU, which also includes calls for legal equality among all member states, a stronger veto power for national governments, a ban on what he terms “unnatural child-rearing,” and the removal of “Soros agents from the European Commission.”

Orbán’s demands were timed to coincide with Hungary’s commemoration of the 1848–1849 national revolution against the Austrian Empire.

He also pledged to take action against media outlets and non-governmental organizations that receive foreign funding, according to AP. The Hungarian Prime Minister declared that it was time to dismantle the “shadow army” of journalists, judges, and politicians paid by the US and Brussels.

In his speech, Orbán stated that Hungary would soon eliminate organizations receiving foreign financial support, comparing them to insects.

“After today’s festive gathering comes the Easter cleaning. The bugs have overwintered,” Orbán said. “We will dismantle the financial machine that has used corrupt dollars to buy politicians, judges, journalists, pseudo-NGOs, and political activists. We will eliminate the entire shadow army,” he claimed.

At the same time, Orbán praised US President Donald Trump’s plan to close the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which in late 2022 launched a program to promote democracy and civil society in Central Europe, including funding non-governmental organizations and independent media in Hungary.

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