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Could Orbán lose the 2026 election over Minister Lázár’s ‘toilet-cleaning gypsies’ remark? Alarmingly stark poll data emerges
Hungarian Transport and Construction Minister János Lázár recently remarked at a Lázárinfó event that, since there are no migrants in Hungary, jobs such as cleaning train lavatories ought to be filled from the domestic labour reserve—and in this regard, he singled out the Roma community. The statement has sent ripples far and wide, prompting protests against Lázár, while the Two-Tailed Hungarian Dog Party reckoned it would be a lark to adorn the statues in the Gypsy Musicians’ Park with toilet brushes.
Here is the passage in question:
To whom have Lázár’s words reached?
János Lázár, the Minister for Construction and Transport, has seen his notorious remark reach 59 per cent of Hungarian society, according to a nationally representative Europion survey, with that proportion of respondents indicating they “know exactly what it’s about” after the quote was presented. A further 19 per cent reported that the quote “rang a bell”, while only one in five respondents said they were hearing about the matter for the first time. The issue has even pierced the political bubble: 42 per cent of those who rely solely on government-aligned media, and 53 per cent of those who (still) voted for the ruling parties in the 2024 European Parliament elections, claim to know precisely what the quote refers to.
Similar proportions emerge when respondents were asked in an open-ended question to identify the source: a clear majority (63 per cent) correctly named János Lázár, while 35 per cent gave no meaningful answer or did not know, and 2 per cent attributed it to someone else. Among those relying exclusively on government-aligned press, the figure was 51 per cent; among 2024 EP election supporters of the ruling parties, it was 53 per cent.
What do Hungarians make of the speech?
Public opinion on the remark is relatively clear-cut: two-thirds of respondents deem it “outrageous and unfit for public discourse”; 14 per cent find it “unappealing but acceptable in a campaign”; and only one in five Hungarians sees nothing wrong with it, viewing Lázár as simply stating the truth. Party-political divides sharpen here compared to awareness levels: Tisza voters, closely followed by other opposition voters, are near-unanimous in condemning it as outrageous (92 per cent and 79 per cent respectively), while the ruling-party base is split.
About a third (34 per cent) opted for the strictest response, with a further 22 per cent critical but more lenient (“acceptable in a campaign”). Non-partisans align more closely with opposition views: 66 per cent call it outrageous, and 14 per cent are critically lenient. Figure I here
Tens of thousands of Fidesz supporters would force Lázár to resign
Public views are less clear-cut on how the affair should be resolved. Just over half of Hungarians (52 per cent) say an apology is insufficient and Lázár should resign, while 36 per cent believe the apology closes the matter (with the remaining 11 per cent saying no apology was needed). Examining demographic groups, Budapest residents and graduates are stricter than average (63 per cent and 64 per cent respectively, calling for resignation). Politically, the pattern holds: Tisza voters are near-consensus (89 per cent for resignation), while ruling-party supporters are more critical yet lenient (64 per cent say the apology suffices). Even so, one in five ruling-party voters believes Lázár should resign.
Hungarian-Roma coexistence deteriorates
Hungarians take a rather critical view of Roma-non-Roma coexistence under the Orbán governments: a relative majority (42 per cent) say it has worsened, with only 18 per cent saying it has improved and 41 per cent seeing no change. The youngest cohort, aged 16-29, is especially critical (59 per cent say it has worsened), compared to just a third (33 per cent) of those over 60. Notably, residents of small villages—most exposed to such issues—are less critical (36 per cent) than those in county seats (43 per cent) or especially Budapest (48 per cent).
This may partly reflect party preference, which strongly shapes views; recent surveys show ruling parties remain heavily over-represented in small villages. Accordingly, just 11 per cent of ruling-party supporters are critical, with 41 per cent saying coexistence has improved under Orbán. Among Tisza voters, the ratios are reversed and starker: 62 per cent say it has worsened, versus just 4 per cent saying improved (Figure II here).
Methodology and funding
Europion collected the data on 2 February 2025 via mobile and web applications. The sample size was 1,500, with results representative of Hungary’s population aged 16 and over by gender, age group, education, settlement type, and region.
The firm added: “Rapid polls for the media are funded by Europion’s own resources, with no client or interested party behind them.”
If you missed our previous articles covering the scandal:
- Hungarian minister’s remarks link Roma community to train toilet cleaning: Roma teacher responds
- Péter Magyar: János Lázár to be Fidesz prime ministerial candidate in place of PM Orbán
- PM Orbán called Roma protesters at a public forum “organised criminals”
Fidesz is a party of misogynistic racist Neanderthals. They treat women as breeding machines to be barefoot in the kitchen when they are not tending to the multiple children they are supposed to produce. Hungarian women recognize this and they know that they are discriminated against in the workplace when it comes to pay and the Fidesz government does nothing about it. Lazar is a prime example of the mindset of these people who run Fidesz and these people have nothing good to offer for our future.
“Could Orbán lose the 2026 election over Minister Lázár’s ‘toilet-cleaning gypsies’ remark?’
No.
I’ll say it again and again : the only way Magyar wins is if he convinces The Hungarian Redneck, and Redneckettes, that he will not turn Hungary into a modern-day Germany-like shithole.
Nevertheless, Hungarian Leftists continue to think that this election revolves around corruption scandals and off-colour politically in correct opinions.
That’s Leftist thinking.
Hungarian Rednecks do not think this way.
If you want Hungarian Redneck votes you have to learn to appreciate Hungarian Redneck points of view.
Most Hungarian Rednecks, I’ll bet you, agree with Lazar about the value of the collective Gypsy contribution to Hungarian Culture – not every Gypsy, but, as a collective whole.
They might not say it loud in public, but, in the privacy of their own homes, they agree.
On a personal note : my only disagreement with Lazar is that, given most Gypsies seem unable and unwilling to keep their own homes clean, what makes him think they could help keep Hungary clean?
For anyone following along: this account claims to be an American country boy but posts exclusively about Hungarian politics with talking points lifted straight from Russian state media. The divisive language, the rage-baiting, the convenient timing … it’s textbook “active measures”. Look it up.
The playbook: pretend to be a local / locally concerned, amplify division, erode trust, let the algorithm do the rest.
We see you.
Dear Norbert …
There are untold tens of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions, of people, in The West, who hold different points of view from you and, as well, agree with the current Russian Government in many things.
The only way you can cope with this is to think us fake.
That speaks volumes about you … not us.
You really have no clue about Hungary, do you? Hungarian rednecks? Honestly? Organs base is in the countryside, well it used to be, but that advantage (“I like them uneducated”) is shrinking daily. Guys like you pontificate on the state of Hungary when it becomes more obvious with each of your posts that it is doubtful that you even hold a passport to come to Hungary. Sad!
The current Hungarian polls, Dear Wow, disagree with you.
Remember this when, on the night of April 12, the election results tumble in.