Today marks the first official day of the regime change, as Hungary’s new National Assembly is formed and a new prime minister is elected. Péter Magyar spoke about this on Saturday in Kossuth Square, before the parliamentary group of the Tisza Party laid wreaths at the statues of former Prime Minister Count Gyula Andrássy and the poet Attila József.
Péter Magyar promises a real regime change
The inaugural session can be followed live on large screens set up in Kossuth Square, where many people had already gathered well before the 10 AM start. In a live broadcast, Péter Magyar said that several pieces of legislation would be adopted during the inaugural session, the new deputy speakers of the National Assembly would be elected, and then, from 4 PM, “we will celebrate here together”.
He explained that they had decided to lay wreaths before entering the inaugural session via the main staircase of Parliament. First, they would pay tribute at the statue of Gyula Andrássy, Hungary’s third prime minister, then walk to the statue of poet Attila József to place flowers there as well. Afterwards, members of the Tisza parliamentary group would enter the Parliament building together.
At the Andrássy statue, the flowers of remembrance were laid by Péter Magyar, the prospective prime minister, alongside Ágnes Forsthoffer, the future Speaker of the National Assembly, and Andrea Bujdosó, the parliamentary group leader, accompanied by Tisza Party MPs. At the statue of Attila József, Péter Magyar placed the flowers himself.
Public celebration in Budapest all day
During the broadcast, he also announced that a public celebration would be held in Kossuth Square until midnight, followed by an after-party “somewhere along the riverside until half past one in the morning”. Everyone is warmly invited.
“Join us throughout the day, either in person here in Kossuth Square — where there will be large screens, good food and drinks, and a guaranteed great atmosphere with surprise guests and high-quality cultural performances in the afternoon — or online if you cannot attend,” Magyar said. He added that events would be streamed all day on Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.
Following the wreath-laying ceremony, MPs entered Parliament, and Péter Magyar was greeted by numerous supporters at the cordon. The prospective prime minister shook hands with several people and posed for photos with them.
According to an MTI correspondent on site, the crowd in Kossuth Square continued to grow around 10 AM, with many families arriving with young children. Numerous attendees were carrying Hungarian flags, while others wore T-shirts bearing the slogan “The Tisza is rising” or scarves reading “Go Hungary”.
Late in the morning, a large banner appeared with the inscription “Regime change — I’ve waited 37 years for this”, drawing many people who stopped to take photos. Some visitors strolled around the square, while others found places to sit on the grassy areas or on the base of the Rákóczi statue.
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Featured image: Anadolu Agency
