Orbán’s challenger Magyar calls for accountability at Budapest protest after government’s child protection failures

Thousands gathered in central Budapest on a weekday afternoon as an opposition-led march moved from Deák Square to the Sándor Palace, where the leader of the Tisza Party, Péter Magyar delivered a powerful speech focused on the failures of Hungary’s child protection system.

Speaking after 6 PM, Magyar framed the demonstration not as a political rally, but as a moral stand for abused and neglected children living in state care.

Protesting against abusing children

Addressing the crowd, Péter Magyar thanked those who had attended in solidarity with vulnerable children, including adults who themselves grew up within the child protection system. He stressed that the event was not about party politics or campaigning, but about confronting the reality faced by thousands of children entrusted to the Hungarian state.

Magyar spoke in a personal tone, introducing himself not as a politician, but as a 44-year-old father of three and a former supporter of the governing Fidesz party. He said his close knowledge of those in power made their silence over recent revelations particularly painful. According to Magyar, the government has failed to respond adequately to reports of widespread abuse within state-run institutions, writes 24.hu.

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Opposition leader says the government let these things happen

He accused Hungary’s leadership of allowing children to be beaten, humiliated, sexually abused, intimidated, locked away and even starved in places that should guarantee their safety. Referring to previously undisclosed official documents, Péter Magyar questioned why such acts were allowed to occur openly, sometimes even in front of surveillance cameras, without meaningful consequences.

Magyar recalled that nearly two years ago, when a controversial presidential pardon case emerged, he felt that remaining silent was no longer possible. He claimed that while the government initially promised reforms, it later became clear that those in power had consistently sided with perpetrators rather than victims. In his words, “nothing has changed” between well-known abuse cases, and he declared that the current political system had reached its end.

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He brought up an official report from 4 years ago

A central point of the speech focused on a 47-page official report from 2021, which Magyar said documented systemic abuse within child protection institutions. According to the report, guardians were aware of more than 3,300 cases of physical or psychological abuse.

Magyar alleged that the government concealed these findings while simultaneously launching a so-called “child protection” referendum during the election period, which he described as a cynical political tool aimed solely at retaining power. He noted that the Interior Ministry has since acknowledged the report’s authenticity and confirmed that the government was fully aware of its contents at the time.

Péter Magyar strongly criticised Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s repeated claims that children in state care are treated properly and supported by trained professionals. He argued that the report itself contradicts these assurances, including cases where abuse was dismissed as “disciplinary” rather than criminal, even involving toddlers under state supervision.

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Péter Magyar comes up with outlines of a reform programme

Looking ahead, Magyar outlined an ambitious reform programme he said would be implemented after the next elections. His proposals include an open-ended child protection budget, a full investigation into past abuses, an independent parliamentary inquiry, a special prosecutor’s office, anonymised public access to case files, annual transparency reports, expanded psychological support, faster reporting systems, and the appointment of social workers in every school. He also promised an immediate 25 percent wage increase for child protection workers, followed by broader pay rises across the social sector.

Péter Magyar concluded by demanding that Prime Minister Orbán accept legal, political and moral responsibility for what he described as a series of systemic crimes. Addressing affected children directly, he promised they would not be abandoned, closing his speech with a biblical quote and a message of hope ahead of Advent.