Péter Magyar would not be friends with Putin yet he would refrain from completely turning against the Russians
Some polls show Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party holding a double-digit lead over Fidesz, making it the first time since 2006 that Viktor Orbán and his party are not the clear frontrunners. It’s no surprise, then, that Poland’s most prominent daily, “Gazeta Wyborcza,” sat down with Magyar to discuss his future plans. Key takeaways from the interview are summarised below.
Magyar showers praise on Poland and its politicians
Péter Magyar has made no secret of the fact that, if elected, his first official trip would be to Poland. In the recent interview, he heaped praise on the political elite of the Central European power, acknowledging that while corruption does exist there, Polish politicians are still a cut above Hungary’s political class of the past decades. According to Magyar, both past and present Polish leaders have earned this praise due to the country’s striking level of development, especially when compared to Hungary.
The interview conducted by Michał Kokot included a moment when the journalist had to offer a correction, noting that Polish politicians are far from flawless, pointing out that Polish society is currently more divided than it has been at any point in the past three decades.
In this article, we reported that, based on UN projections, Poland is expected to experience the most significant population decline in the region by 2100. Hungary’s population is also expected to shrink, though not as drastically.
Donald Tusk, the European People’s Party, and Tisza
Magyar said that if elected, he would restore Hungary’s access to frozen EU funds in much the same way Donald Tusk did after winning in Poland. He emphasized that Hungary’s economy is in dire need of these funds. Since the Tisza Party is part of the European People’s Party, Magyar believes Hungary could reach an agreement quickly, just as Tusk did.
The Russian Bear
When it came to Russia, Magyar struck a more cautious tone. He pointed out that despite efforts to diversify, Hungary remains heavily dependent on Russian gas and oil, saying that the country must continue to do business with Moscow. However, he added that they would move away from an uncritical friendship with Russia. According to Magyar, Hungary’s national interests align with those of Poland and the rest of Europe, and those interests will be defended.
He argued that it makes little sense for Hungary to supply weapons to Ukraine, as doing so could endanger the Hungarian minority living in Transcarpathia. (Experts note that transporting arms across the Carpathians would be logistically difficult and politically fraught.)
Election preparations
According to Magyar, Fidesz is currently trailing behind Tisza, which has launched a successful online campaign and is now touring rural villages. He believes Fidesz supporters are disciplined and patriotic, and unlike Orbán and the party leadership, they haven’t changed.
Regarding his time in government, Magyar stated that while his wife was in frontline politics, he refrained from going public with his criticisms. But starting in 2019, he became increasingly vocal about corruption within the party. At one point, he even tried to reform Fidesz from within, though he admitted that he failed. He did not comment on how the leadership roles given to him by the government related to the corruption he later criticized.
Oligarchs and political refugees
Magyar said that a key issue will be whether the Tisza Party can win a two-thirds majority to dismantle the Orbán regime. However, he believes they could govern effectively with a simple majority. As for Hungary’s oligarchs, he predicted they would disappear if Fidesz loses—if only to protect some of their wealth.
On the topic of former political leaders granted asylum by the Hungarian government, he stated that refugee status is not meant for this purpose. He advised Marcin Romanowski, the former Polish justice minister accused of corruption, to quickly find another country that will take him in.
- Hungary granted asylum to Marcin Romanowski, former Polish deputy justice minister
Who will be the prime ministerial candidate?
Magyar said it’s not certain that the fall congress will nominate him as the party’s candidate for prime minister. In fact, he said he would welcome a challenger, especially if it meant the party could put forward a female candidate.
The full interview is available on the News from Poland Facebook page.
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More news concerning Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party.
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