An aspiring challenger to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán led a protest of several thousand people demanding a more robust child protection system and the resignation of Orbán’s government. The demonstrators gathered outside Hungary’s Interior Ministry in Budapest, calling for its head, Sándor Pintér, to step down over his failure to prevent the sexual abuse of children in state-run institutions. Peter Magyar, a 43-year-old lawyer who has emerged as a new voice of opposition to Hungary’s right-wing government, criticized Orbán’s portrayal of himself as a defender of families and traditional values, and called for genuine reforms to address child welfare.
The demonstration led by Magyar is part of a series of large anti-government protests that he has mobilized in recent weeks. He is campaigning for European Union elections with his new party, Respect and Freedom (TISZA), and has called for Orbán and his government to step down. Magyar is campaigning for a third option for Hungarians disillusioned by Orbán’s long rule and the fragmented opposition parties in Hungary. He came to prominence after publicly accusing the government of corruption and cronyism following a child sexual abuse scandal that led to several high-profile resignations.
The scandal that rocked Hungary in February involved the former president issuing a pardon to a man convicted of covering up child sexual abuse in a rural youth home. This revealed a more complex and troubling side to Orbán’s image as a Christian conservative who protects families and children from what he calls “LGBTQ propaganda.” Magyar criticized Hungary’s child protection policies for failing to punish abuses and demanded an apology from Orbán to the survivors of abuse in an orphanage.
Despite Hungary’s government dismissing Magyar as an opportunist seeking a new career, his message has resonated with the public, with opinion polls showing that his new party is likely to gain seats in the European Parliament in June elections. Demonstrators like László Horváth Etele see Magyar as capable of mounting a real challenge to Orbán and disrupting the ineffective opposition parties that have been unable to unseat him for 14 years. Etele believes that new challengers are needed to change the current opposition landscape in Hungary.
Magyar’s calls for change and his push for genuine reforms to address child welfare issues have struck a chord with many Hungarians who are disenchanted with Orbán’s government. The growing support for Magyar’s new party signifies a desire for alternatives to the current political establishment in Hungary. As Magyar continues to gain momentum and mobilize large-scale protests, he poses a significant challenge to Orbán’s long-standing rule and the opposition parties in Hungary, promising a new way forward for the country’s political landscape.
