The opposition Fidesz and Christian Democrat (KDNP) parties will hold a protest against proposed amendments to the Fundamental Law outside the presidential Sándor Palace on Thursday evening, Gergely Gulyás of Fidesz and Bence Rétvári, KDNP’s parliamentary group leader, told a press conference following a meeting of the two parties’ parliamentary groups. The Sándor Palace is the home of the Hungarian President, elected by the Fidesz majority – who PM Péter Magyar would like to unseat as soon as possible.
Orbán’s Fidesz to demonstrate for democracy in Budapest
Gulyás said everyone, regardless of party affiliation, was welcome to attend the demonstration at 6pm on Thursday “if they value democracy, the rule of law, democratic elections, the protection of arable land and national assets and the preservation of the office of president without irreparable damage.”
The parliamentary groups held lengthy discussions on the draft amendment submitted by the Tisza government, and possible responses, he said. Asked if the parliamentary work or a boycott of plenary sessions had been raised at the group meeting, Gulyás said all possibilities had been considered, and the group would make a decision and provide information afterwards, the Hungarian news agency wrote.
Gulyás called the proposal to amend the constitution a “scandal”, “not a simple, straightforward overstep, but an attempt to establish authoritarianism which has been alien to Hungarian democracy so far.” Rétvári said the KDNP also found the constitutional amendment unacceptable as it “weakened democracy”.
Péter Magyar hits back at Viktor Orbán’s ‘alarmism’
Laughter reportedly rang out as far away as Istanbul at the suggestion that Fidesz would stage a protest in defence of constitutionalism and democracy, Péter Magyar said in a pointed response to the prime minister on Monday. Writing on Facebook, Magyar likened the move to “a thief crying out for the police”.
PM Magyar heads to first NATO summit – then stays in Türkiye for family holiday with sons
Earlier the same day, Viktor Orbán, leader of Fidesz, accused the Tisza party of overstepping “every boundary — human, moral and constitutional” and announced that his party would organise a demonstration outside the Sándor Palace on Thursday.
“The Hungarian electorate did not give a mandate for this. We must not allow it,” Orbán wrote. “The Tisza has crossed every line — human, moral and constitutional,” Orbán reiterated in his Facebook post, again calling on supporters to gather for Thursday’s protest outside the presidential residence.
Former PM Orbán: Hungary is heading towards ‘authoritarian rule’ under PM Magyar
