Tens of thousands rallied in Budapest against Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Saturday, waving the national flag as the leader of the surging opposition Tisza party pledged to make Hungary part of a strong Europe and end Orban's 15-year rule. Peter Magyar, a former government insider, launched his movement a year ago. His Tisza party - named after Hungary's second biggest river - leads Orban's Fidesz in most polls, a year before elections in 2026.
Earlier on Saturday, Orban, who has clashed with the EU over policies critiqued for eroding democracy in Hungary, vowed to crack down on politicians and journalists with foreign funding. He reiterated his stance against EU membership for Ukraine, intensifying his election campaign.
Over 50,000 opponents defied cold, drizzly weather to rally in Budapest, chanting "filthy Fidesz" and "the Tisza is flooding."
"Those who betray their nation should be consigned to the dustbin of history," Magyar declared to the crowd. "Our time has come." He announced Tisza’s plan for a public survey on 12 key economic and political issues to gather the "voice of the nation."
Speaking on Hungary's national day, Orban emphasized the need to dismantle what he labeled a "shadow army" of NGOs, journalists, judges, and politicians allegedly funded from the United States and Brussels. Orban revealed intentions to curb NGOs and media channels receiving support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and billionaire George Soros.
Following U.S. President Donald Trump's move to dissolve USAID, Orban has been bolstered in his position.
Last month, Hungary indicated it would introduce legislation to safeguard national sovereignty and scrutinize foreign funding to Hungarian media and what Orban termed quasi-NGOs.
This week, Orban's Fidesz party proposed measures allowing the expulsion of dual citizens considered a threat to Hungary's sovereignty.