Hungarian police chief commits suicide after government-close media attacked his private life
Many details surrounding the tragic incident remain unclear, but one thing is certain: the police chief of Hódmezővásárhely took his own life shortly after two local news websites affiliated with Fidesz published sharply critical and accusatory articles about him. Will the Hungarian police chief’s suicide be a turning point in the 2026 parliamentary election campaign?
On the opposition side, commentators have described the event as a murder committed by pro-Fidesz media figures. In contrast, government representatives have expressed condolences while condemning those who they say are trying to exploit a man’s death for political gain. Notably, both comments on articles and posts linked to Minister János Lázár, who has ties to the town, have been disabled.
Will the Hódmezővásárhely police chief’s death act as a wake-up call?
The death of Zsolt Szabó, police chief of Hódmezővásárhely, could mark a turning point in an election campaign that has increasingly turned hostile. Péter Márki-Zay, the town’s mayor and the 2022 joint opposition prime ministerial candidate, called Szabó “an excellent father, an accomplished officer, and an honourable citizen.” Last night, a crowd gathered with candles in front of the police station to pay tribute to his memory. The mayor shared a live video from the vigil:
Days before his death, the local website promenad24.hu and another Fidesz-linked outlet published reports alleging that public safety in the town was deteriorating because Szabó was distracted by personal matters. He was also criticised for allowing a chalk-drawing competition near the Batida Castle, where some of the drawings reportedly included calls for a bloody political reckoning. According to Márki-Zay, the controversial additions were added later by unknown individuals, and the original drawings were not objectionable.
Out of respect for Szabó and his family, no further details from the articles will be shared here. Furthermore, Blikk questioned promenad24.hu about the evidence behind their claims, but the site has since deleted the article, disabled comments on its posts, and issued a terse statement saying the article was removed “solely out of deference to the deceased.”
Opposition: murder; Government parties: desecration of the dead
Political reaction has been swift and widespread. While expressing his condolences, the mayor of Hódmezővásárhely also voiced his anger, suggesting the defamatory reports contributed to the police chief’s death. Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, made a similar comment and added, “We want a country where politics doesn’t kill. A nation where people need not live in fear.”
János Lázár, Minister for Construction and a former Fidesz MP for Hódmezővásárhely, posted a brief statement on Facebook, saying he didn’t know Szabó well but remarked, “Anyone who dares to draw irreversible conclusions from a suicide, names a scapegoat, and incites a lynch mob is a scoundrel.” Lázár accused Márki-Zay of crossing a “blood-red line” by attempting to gain political capital from the tragedy.
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This article makes no sense and provides no context for the claim just rambling loosely connected claims, If the police chief shot himself over criticism for a political drawing.well damn, he should not have been police chief as he did not have the mental constitution and fortitude required. This article and the mouths spouting the claim made by this paper seem politically, motives and highly biased.
The man was reported to have trouble workimg due to personal problems.
How is it odd, that such a person commited suicide?
His death is not a political matter, but a personal tragedy.
And calling journalists murderers for investigative journalism is a new low for the opposition-aligned media.
Beware if you establish the ptecedent that journalists are at fault here, the very same argument is going to be used against the writers of this article.
Reading that the police ch. had personal family issues which were supposedly interfering with his duties made me think that the article would educate on how work-life ballance is now achieved in Hungary. Always a family must come first, then work commitments. Your family obligation is forever, your work…until someone decides you are redundant for any reason what so ever. Holding it all together, your own spiritual practices and beliefs.
The article went way off track and is almost libalis in my view. Scaremongering. Suicide is complicated, can run in affiliated circles, is a contageouse. For his loved ones and admirers, they do not deserve what ammounts to gossip being publicly descimated. SAD focus here. And of course my email does exist or i would not get this in my inbox.
I have the feeling the police commander didn’t comit suicide because of what was written in those yellow pages but because of what he thought they further know about him; hence the important thing is who wrote that report not the report itself. Another case where what is omitted is the most relevant thing to know.