WorthyNews: Tens Of Thousands Rally Against Hungary’s Orbán

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News reporting from Budapest, Hungary

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Braving rain, tens of thousands rallied in Budapest against Hungary’s longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who faces growing public outrage over corruption allegations and his perceived authoritarian and pro-Russia policies.

They gathered hours after the prime minister vowed a crackdown on political opponents and critical media and expressed his opposition to Ukraine joining the European Union

Speaking at a Saturday’s Budapest commemoration of Hungary’s 1848-49 revolution and freedom fight, Orbán vowed to “eliminate the financial machine that has bought politicians, judges, journalists, pseudo-civil organizations and political activists with corrupt dollars.”

U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s decision to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has emboldened his ally Orbán.

Last month, Orbán, 61, said Hungary would draft legislation “to protect national sovereignty” and uncover foreign funding for Hungarian media and what he called quasi-NGOS.

This week, his Fidesz party submitted constitutional changes permitting the “expulsion” of dual citizens deemed to pose “a threat to Hungary’s sovereignty.”

It was not immediately clear what impact the move could have on a Worthy News reporter of Dutch origin. Although he did not receive support from the USAID or billionaire George Soros, he remains on a government blacklist of eight journalists due to critical reports on the plight of media, democracy, and antisemitism

USAID AND SOROS

Orbán told his audience Saturday from the stairs of the National Museum about a planned crackdown on media and others “receiving funding” from USAID and Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros.

“After today’s celebrations comes the big Easter cleaning up as the bugs have survived the winter,” Orbán said. “We will eliminate the whole shadow army.”

Orbán warned there was a “special place in hell” for such people. “We know who you are, even if you’ve disguised yourself in the new European party garb,” he stressed. “Your masters are the same; your plans are the same…We will defeat you again and again because the sword is brighter than the chain,” the prime minister added.

Despite his harsh words, Orbán said he believes in Christian values that he suggested are threatened by the EU’s migration and LHTBQ+ policies. “The empire wants to mix the indigenous inhabitants of Europe with invading masses from a foreign civilisation and then replace them,” Orban claimed, presumably referring to millions of Muslims entering Europe.

He noticed that “the empire” also sought to drive “our children and grandchildren away from a healthy” way of life towards “the chaos of unnatural lifestyles” and “kick away the order and culture of the Christian life.” That was a reference to his party’s attempt to ban the annual Pride march after already removing LGBTQ+ education from schools.

He also said the “masters of Europe” have decided that Ukraine must continue the war no matter the costs, “and in exchange, it will receive quick EU membership at our expense.”

Orbán, one of the European Union’s most vocal pro-Russia politicians, warned: “We only have one answer to that: the Union but without Ukraine.”

STILL SUPPORTING SANCTIONS

Yet Hungary reluctantly did not veto a half-year extension of EU sanctions against Russia on Friday, but only after several oligarchs were removed from the list, including Russian businessman Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, the country’s sports minister, Mikhail Degtyaryov and Gulbahor Ismailova, the sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

Yet at Budapest’s spectacular Andrássy Avenue boulevard, Hungary’s prominent opposition leader and European legislator Péter Magyar pledged to reunite the nation and to work more closely with the EU.

His Tisza party, named after Hungary’s second-biggest river, leads Orban’s Fidesz in most polls a year before the 2026 elections amid economic concerns.

However, Magyar, a 44-year-old former government insider, has expressed concerns about a possible crackdown by authorities on opposition groups after he published a list of dozens of properties owned by the Orbán family and friends.

At the same time, demonstrators who were trying to reach Budapest from the countryside reported that their train had been deliberately delayed.

Despite these setbacks, Magyar claimed 150,000-200,000 people attended the rally, while up to three million followed the gathering online. Reporters estimated the actual figure to be up to 50,000 demonstrators.

Magyar, a former government insider, launched his movement a year ago, saying Hungary’s place was a strong Europe where the country was respected, valued, and regarded as an ally by its neighbors.

‘RUSSIA CLEAR AGGRESSOR’

Bence Tamás Tóth, 24, shares his views: “Because our government is not governing well, and they stole a lot of money. They drew trenches between Hungarians.”

The biology student also disagreed with Orbán about Ukraine not joining the EU.

“He [Orbán] does not say that the aggressor [in the war in Ukraine] is not Ukraine but Russia,” he explained.

He added that he was upset that Orbán did not want Ukraine’s EU membership, although a sizeable Hungarian minority lived there.

“And it’s going to take 12 years or so” before Ukraine would join the EU, added Angelika Futó.

The 30-year-old salesperson hasn’t given up hope for Hungary. “I hope the next year we are going to change the regime here because it’s not good. I’m 30 years old, and I feel like I’m still living in communism.”

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