Thousands of Hungarians rallied in Budapest to protest against the policies of Prime Minister Viktor Orban and in support of the opposition Tisza party.
Hungary is scheduled to hold general elections next year. Opinion polls show that support for the Tisza party, led by Orban’s former associate Peter Magyar, is growing, partly because of the country’s economic difficulties.
More than 50,000 Tisa supporters and other protesters gathered in Budapest despite the cold weather. At the rally, Magyar promised to publish a poll on 12 key economic and political issues to hear “the voice of the nation.”
“Those who deceive their nation should end up on the dustbin of history. Our time has come,” the politician said while addressing the crowd.
Earlier on March 15, at a rally to mark Hungary’s Day of Hungary, Orban pledged to destroy what he called a “shadow army” of NGOs, journalists and politicians who he said were allegedly being paid by the United States and Brussels. He also again spoke out against Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.
The comments echo previous rhetoric by Orban, who has criticised non-governmental organisations and media outlets that have received funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and billionaire George Soros.
“After today’s holidays comes the big Easter clean-up, as the bugs have survived the winter. We will eliminate the entire shadow army,” Orban said.
Orban’s Fidesz party has previously proposed constitutional changes that would expel from Hungary people with dual citizenship who are deemed a threat to the country’s sovereignty.