Protest in Budapest, Sunday, August 21, 2025. Credit: Attila Kisbenedek / AFP / Profimedia
Tens of thousands of people participated in a demonstration on Sunday in Budapest, accusing Prime Minister Viktor Orban of using taxpayers for misleading campaigns and instigating hatred for political purposes, AFP reports.
Ever since he returned to power in 2020, the nationalist leader has used extensive multimedia campaigns that cost millions of euros from taxpayers.
Critics claim that these communication offensives often concern the prime minister's political opponents and strengthen their messages, such as those in which Ukraine's candidacy is attacked.
On the other hand, the Government insists that it is the concrete and necessary “information campaigns” to increase the public awareness of important issues.
50,000 people to protest, organizers say
The Sunday protest has gathered around 50,000 people in the heroes market, according to the organizers. The authorities have not yet offered an estimate of the presence.
Hungarians is protesting the Orban Government's Hate Speech Now.
The rally called up after the latest nationwide billboard action by orban, whether he is abusing and mocking president zelensky and the hungarian opposition Figure Peter Magyar. pic.twitter.com/mwis4ufrn6– SzabadonMagyar 🇬🇧🇭🇺🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@szabadonmagyar) September 21, 2025
A zebra -shaped balloon was floating above the crowd, the striped animals becoming a symbol of the luxurious lifestyle of the governing elite, after being photographed by approaching the country of the Orban family.
The government intends to launch a “national consultation” on taxation in October, which the opposition considers the latest in a series of questionnaires formulated, meant to strengthen support for Orban's policies.
The approach comes in the context in which a Pro-Viktor Orban news site claims that the main opposition party secretly intends to increase income taxes if it will win next year's choices.
The party, which in polls is above the formation of Viktor Orban, Fidesz, denies the publication statements.
The advertising that accompanied a similar consultation from the beginning of this year on the membership of Ukraine to the EU has cost the equivalent of about 27.7 million euros, according to data obtained by the weekly HVG.
The organizer of the protests, Loupe, a known theater association for staging some plays that explore social problems, requests a referendum on the prohibition of state -funded advertisements in which there is the probability “to mislead, distract, incite or cause hatred.”
