2026-04-03 17:11
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2026-04-03 17:11
Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar said in an interview with the Associated Press published on Friday that the April 12 parliamentary elections will be a referendum on whether Hungary wants to continue moving towards eastern autocracies or regain its place among Europe's democracies.
The opposition politician assessed that Prime Minister Viktor Orban – who has been in power for 16 years – has made a “180-degree turn” in recent years, threatening Hungary's Western orientation and at the same time bringing the country closer to Moscow.
Despite the changes, Magyar noted, “Hungarians still believe that Hungary's peace and development are guaranteed by membership in the European Union and NATO.” – I think this will really be a referendum on our country's place in the world – he emphasized.
– I believe that TISHA (the party he leads – PAP) will achieve a landslide victory, because even Fidesz voters do not want our country to be a Russian puppet – said Magyar.
He assured that European leaders will be able to expect a “constructive position” from Budapest under Tisza's government that will be both “critical and open to debate.” – We want to be an active participant in the talks – noted the leader of Tisza.
– The Hungarian prime minister's task at all times is to represent Hungarian interests and, if necessary, to represent them with all his might, he said, defending the EU's principle of unanimous decision-making. He said that European leaders have no problem with the existence of this rule, but they are bothered by the “troublemaker” Orban who abuses it.
Magyar announced that the government he leads would take a “pragmatic” approach to Russia. – Pragmatism means that we have nothing to say in Russia's internal affairs, and it has nothing to say in our affairs, he explained. – We are sovereign countries and we respect each other, but we don't have to like each other – he added.
President Tisza criticized Orban's government for failing to diversify energy supplies – which are still based on imports from Russia – and argued in favor of concluding new agreements and building infrastructure that would enable the import of oil and natural gas from other sources. He added that “this does not mean that we must immediately stop buying Russian oil.”
Parliamentary elections in Hungary will be held on April 12. The main opposition party, TISHA, is ahead of Prime Minister Orban's Fidesz in most independent polls. In Median's March survey, it received support of 58%. among decisive voters, and Fidesz – 35 percent. Wednesday's survey by the 21 Research Center showed that TISHA enjoys the support of 56 percent. decisive elections, and Fidesz – 37 percent
Polls by centers linked to the government indicate that Orban's party has an advantage of several percentage points.
Jakub Bawołek from Budapest (PAP)
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