Hungary’s Fidesz party will hold both a protest on Sunday and its 23 October commemoration outside Budapest’s House of Terror Museum, the party announced on Friday.
Party chooses museum as venue amid dispute over its leadership and future
In a statement sent to MTI, Fidesz called on supporters to “protest together against the new communist authoritarianism”. The announcement comes amid a political dispute over the museum following the termination of the mandate of its long-serving director, Mária Schmidt, and a review of the institution’s exhibition and operations.
23 October this year marks the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight, making the House of Terror a particularly prominent location for political events connected with the anniversary.
Meanwhile, right-wing influencers are organising a protest on Sunday, 20 September, over the removal of Mária Schmidt, former director of the museum. The announcement was made by the Tisza government’s minister of social relations and culture, Zoltán Tarr.
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House of Terror to reopen next week
The museum hence was temporarily closed on 15 September after Tarr, but the government subsequently changed its plans for the closure. The House of Terror is due to reopen on Tuesday, 22 September, and will be free to visit for one week. The museum’s official website also confirms the 22 September reopening date.
The exhibition will remain in its current form while the professional review is under way. According to Tarr, the review is being conducted by researchers from the ELTE Institute of Historical Studies and independent experts.
The House of Terror is operated by the Foundation for Research on Central and Eastern European History and Society. The foundation was among the public-interest asset management foundations affected by the government’s decision to wind up a number of such organisations, with their public assets and responsibilities transferred to the state.
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Peace March postponed as Fidesz announces separate event
The announcement also follows a decision by the Civil Összefogás Fórum (CÖF), a Fidesz-aligned civic organisation, regarding a planned 23 October Békemenet, or Peace March.
CÖF said on Friday that it considered holding the march on 23 October premature and that the next Békemenet would take place at a later date. The decision came after right-wing public figures had announced plans for demonstrations around the House of Terror.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Péter Magyar criticised the cancellation in a social media post, arguing that the march was being called off because of a lack of interest and public funding. His comments represent his own political interpretation of the decision.
With the Békemenet postponed, the Fidesz announcement establishes the House of Terror as the location for the party’s 23 October commemoration, while debate over the museum’s leadership and professional direction continues.
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Fidesz is now a useless, mindless, super-reactionary force serving one purpose: Orbaín Viktor’s ego. They should pack it up and go home, and come back when they are interested in contributing to governance, not simply attacking and moaning.
At their protest on October 23rd can Fidesz please explain why they removed the 1956 memorial and the Nagy Imre memorial from Kossuth ter? These Russian agents have no business commemorating October 23rd.
As for the Fidesz “Peace March” the best location for them to finish would be in front of the Russian embassy and they can pay their respects at the Navalny memorial across the street while they are there.