A rising star in Hungary’s opposition rallied tens of thousands of his supporters on Saturday, pledging to pivot toward the European mainstream if he succeeds in a long-shot bid to challenge prime minister Viktor Orban’s rule.
Peter Magyar burst onto the scene after the resignation of two key Orban allies, one of whom was Magyar’s ex-wife, former justice minister Judit Varga, in February.
Magyar, a 43-year-old lawyer and former diplomat-turned-whistleblower, said he’d continue attempting to build support in the run-up to European Parliament elections in June.
“I didn’t set out to defeat the whole power elite on my own,” Magyar told the rally outside the Hungarian parliament building in Budapest. “I am only the spark which can start that engine.”
Magyar said he’ll soon announce the political party under whose auspices he can challenge Orban’s party in the European Union elections, which coincide with a ballot for local municipalities in Hungary. For now, he’s recruiting adherents in a civic group.
A Republikon poll published on Friday by the news website Telex showed that a party led by Magyar would instantly be among the strongest opposition forces, though still well behind Orban’s Fidesz.
Corruption Case
Orban has dominated Hungary since his return to power in 2010, and previous political upstarts have quickly flamed out or cannibalized support from existing opposition groups.
Magyar managed to capture public attention in the eastern European country as the domestic fallout with his ex-wife played out daily on social media and brought wider allegations of corruption into focus.
Under Orban, Hungary has plummeted to last place among European Union member states in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. The EU continues to withhold two-thirds of the €30 billion ($32.5 billion) of Hungary’s funding it suspended in 2022 over corruption and rule of law concerns.
Orban is the Kremlin’s closest ally in the EU, who held up aid from the bloc for Ukraine’s defense for months before relenting, and maintains cordial relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Magyar said that he’d make resolving disputes with the EU a priority, and get Hungary’s remaining funds released.
Many demonstrators acknowledged that Magyar has yet to prove himself as a leader, but his sudden rise to prominence presents an opportunity to build critical mass against Orban’s regime.
Leaked Tape
“There are so many people with grievances which have long been suppressed,” said Andrea Varga, 52, who traveled to the demonstration from the western Hungarian town of Ajka. “So many things happened so quickly in the space of a month, anything could happen.”
Magyar’s release of a tape concerning a high-profile corruption case put the Orban’s cabinet temporarily on the defensive. In response, the formidable information machine controlled by the premier has unleashed a barrage of attacks against Magyar.
Orban’s officials have said Magyar, as a former executive of a state company, was a beneficiary of that system. He also held board seats in several other companies with state ownership until resigning to launch his political career.
“The fact that he managed to leave all that behind gives him enormous power,” said another protester, Kristof Szakmary. “Look around you,” said Szakmary, 22, an economics student, pointing at the gathering crowd behind him. “When did we last see such things in the past few years?”