Orbán’s cabinet: chiefs of staff should avoid party politics if they strengthen the opposition rather than Fidesz

The defence minister told public radio on Tuesday that the Hungarian military’s chiefs of staff “have a corporate ethos to avoid party politics and to be loyal to the Hungarian government at all times. “

Asked about a Monday statement by former commanders and chiefs of staff, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said former army officials’ contribution to political events could divide the military, and he expressed disapproval of such activities. The minister said that a former chief of staff who entered the political arena could compromise unity within the military and “create uncertainty,” which he said was “extremely dangerous in war times.”

Szalay-Bobrovniczky noted that he had worked together with Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, a former chief of staff, who recently addressed a rally organised by the opposition Tisza Party. The minister said he had previously initiated Ruszin-Szendi’s dismissal “after a short period of co-working” because he thought the chief of staff “could not take the military to a higher level of combat capabilities as required in the interest of the Hungarian people.” The minister said Ruszin-Szendi had “chosen the wrong role” and “he keeps on talking”. He also suggested that Ruszin-Szendi, when still in office, had engaged in talks with Ukraine’s defence minister and other Ukrainian officials without appropriate authorisation.

“A high-level military leader has huge powers and … could create situations in which politicians are forced to react,” Szalay-Bobrovniczky said, adding that “anyone acting like that is obviously unfit for their position.”

Magyar’s reaction:

Péter Magyar’s post in response, with unchanged text

Viktor Orbán scored another goal; Fidesz panicked, and propaganda ran rampant.

At the weekend, a crisis meeting was held at the Karmelita: on the one hand, they felt the accession of the most popular leader of the Hungarian army to TISZA was a blow, and on the other hand, they knew that the stand of Lieutenant General Romulus Ruszin-Szendi will crush the vile lies of Fidesz propaganda about TISZA, whether it is about the war or illegal migration. And, of course, they know that the defence and the entire law enforcement personnel stand by him and support him.

Orbán has put everyone from the casino minister to the satellite opposition parties and from the propaganda to some former military leaders in “battle order”, but he has only scored more own goals.

In their view, it is fine for the then and former leaders of the Hungarian Defence Forces to attend the Fidesz party event, Orbán’s annual review, in uniform, but it is treason and a violation of the military oath for a retired civilian former chief of staff to speak at a TISZA event.

How good that the author of one of the condemnatory statements, General Lajos Fodor, was not so harsh on himself when he was in uniform at a Fidesz party event or when he was Orbán’s State Secretary and Deputy State Secretary.

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