Incoming PM Péter Magyar contends that Budapest is effectively bankrupt and should not be hosting large‑scale festivities, especially not a major event on the same stretch of riverbank just one day before the Tisza‑organised inauguration gathering.
A huge party is to be held in Budapest on the day of Péter Magyar’s swearing-in
Péter Magyar is expected to become Hungary’s prime minister on the afternoon of Saturday 9 May, after the new National Assembly elects him in a vote on the government’s programme. There is little suspense: with 141 Tisza MPs in parliament until at least 2030, Magyar will be able to begin governing with what the article describes as a historic mandate. A “system-changing” public celebration is therefore being organised outside Parliament, both on the Danube embankment and on Kossuth Square, where screens will relay the events inside the Hungarian Parliament.
“After the greetings from the elected prime minister, the artistic performances and the surprise guests, we will cross the threshold of regime change with a rousing party,” the future prime minister wrote in his announcement.
Karácsony’s counter-party?
Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony then had an idea of his own: there should not only be a regime-changing party, but also a regime-closing one, banishing the past 16 years of Fidesz rule under Viktor Orbán to the pages of history. This would take place on 8 May from 6.30pm at the foot of the Chain Bridge, on the Pest embankment.
Incoming premier Péter Magyar voiced his displeasure during the day. “Is this really serious, that the mayor is putting on a party on top of the joint May 9 celebration of regime change? And by the way, is the bankrupt capital paying for the party, or are you?” the future prime minister wrote.
He was referring to the capital’s precarious financial position, which he said is due to the extraordinarily high solidarity contribution imposed by previous governments. Karácsony has complained about this for years, saying it is one reason for delayed development in Budapest.
Early elections in Budapest?
The city administration is currently operating unlawfully because Karácsony has no deputy mayor owing to the fractured assembly. Although he offered to work with a Tisza deputy, no substantive reply has been received. Some believe early elections could soon be called in Budapest to break the deadlock in the General Assembly.
At present, Tisza, the old left-wing parties, and Fidesz each hold roughly a third of the seats. Alongside them are members of the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party and Dávid Vitézy’s Podmaniczky Movement. Vitézy, however, is set to become transport minister in the Tisza government within days.
New transport minister Vitézy vows to rebuild Hungary’s railways after “years of decline”
In its article this morning, 24.hu reported that Tisza entered the 2024 municipal elections in Budapest as a minor party with a short list of candidates, and now finds itself without a single person left to slot into a seat. Numerous former capital representatives have secured European Parliament or national assembly mandates—Andrea Bujdosó and Áron Porcher being cases in point. Of their 14-strong Budapest list, just two reserves remain: András Kulja and Eszter Lakos. Yet both are now MEPs. The two roles are not incompatible in theory, but in practice they prove fiendishly hard to reconcile (even now, two Tisza MEPs who also sit as Budapest representatives have shunned committee positions and rarely contribute to debates). A snap election in the capital would thus suit Tisza on multiple fronts: with roughly 60% support in parliamentary polls, it could plausibly sweep the city outright—perhaps even claiming the mayor’s office into the bargain.
Karácsony backs down
After Péter Magyar’s outburst yesterday, Karácsony announced today that, in consultation with Tisza, the regime-closing event would be held not the previous evening, but on the day of PM Péter Magyar’s oath-taking, this Saturday, 9 May, from 1pm.
“Thank you!” is a gesture for everyone who, over the past 16 years, stood up for our shared causes and who had to endure persecution, humiliation, smear campaigns, harassment and propaganda lies from the system that has now ended. Civilians, independent creative communities, rights defenders, teachers, students, those fighting for workers’ rights, advocates of university autonomy, the independent press, those supporting our poorest compatriots, Roma activists, communities fighting for equality for gay people, and those who want to do something for a liveable environment. We owe them at least a thank you. We agree that we will not forget the courage to stand up, nor the vile acts committed against them,” Karácsony wrote in a post this morning.
The event will take place at the Chain Bridge on the Pest embankment. Performers have not yet been announced, but Karácsony would then head across to the Tisza event at Parliament once his own gathering is over.
If you missed:
What’s next? Political scandals unfold in Hungary as arrests, corruption allegations and resignations mount
Government-close outlet Index posts correction over fake Tisza tax plan, Magyar demands front-page apology
