Péter Magyar: Hungary belongs in Europe

A day after Viktor Orbán’s traditional state of the nation speech, Fidesz’s challenger, the Tisza Party also held a major event. 56 days before an election that is promising to be unlike anything Hungary has seen since 2010, the party’s leader, Péter Magyar also evaluated the year behind, but started by reflecting how far they have come in the past two years since the party's founding.

Over the past two years, I did everything my way, we did everything our way, in our Hungarian way, he said, adding that they are now standing at the gate of victory. "Let's walk straight through it!” Magyar expressed his pride in seeing those who would put the country back on track sitting in the front rows of the audience, along with those who were there with him when they started the whole process two years ago.

He briefly reflected on what he had described as the most recent smear campaign against him. "They are attacking us and trying to discredit us because we have everything we need to win," Magyar said. He believes they are ready to govern, "while Fidesz is left with nothing but incitement, fear, and hatred."

After Orbán Viktor addressed the country’s youth several times in the past few weeks, encouraging them to vote for Fidesz, Péter Magyar also spoke to them specifically.The president of Tisza does not understand what the Prime Minister is talking about, considering that it was specifically because of Orbán's government that so many young people chose to leave Hungary in the first place. He believes that young people are tired of not being able to afford a decent place to live, tired of corruption, and tired of not having secure job opportunities.

"You can't threaten Hungarian youth and treat them like they're stupid, Comrade Prime Minister," he said. His message to young people was that Tisza won't tell anyone how to rebel, how to live, or how to vote. They want to provide them with a functioning country, and to this end, he urged young people to note down the date of the most important event of the decade, i.e. the "party" of the decade and to make sure they turn up to vote on April 12.

According to Magyar, a prime minister must know how to ask questions, listen, and seek the help of experts. "If you want to build, then those who think differently are not your enemies, rather your allies," said Magyar, explaining that a prime minister must be able to accept criticism. If Tisza wins, then "Hungary must never again be governed by calling the opposition traitors, and Hungarians must never again be stigmatized for disagreeing with the ruling power," Magyar said.

Magyar recounted that the party had worked with numerous experts over the past two years, including during his tour of the country, where he visited dozens of towns and villages, and spoke with locals. All of this contributed to the Tisza Party’s program, he said. "Our plan is a clear, accountability-based government program with deadlines and clearly assigned responsibilities," Magyar said, adding that this is how they will govern.

He committed to reforming the child protection system and promised an apology and financial compensation to the victims from the Bicske children’s home – the scandal that cost Fidesz two of its highest-positioned female politicians, and provided a springboard for Magyar’s entry into politics.

He brought up the case of the battery factory in Göd, saying that the government did not stand up for the people, but left them exposed to harm. "What kind of country is this where poisoning is tolerated? he asked, promising that this would change after April 12.

Péter Magyar promised that under the Tisza government, instead of the interests of factories, the health of local residents and the state of the environment would be a priority. They would make independent and public monitoring mandatory. "Pollution from factories cannot be concealed. Where serious violations occur, the authorities must not remain idle, but must immediately suspend production if necessary," he said.

He finds it shameful that after sixteen years in office, Viktor Orbán has not once apologised "for the destruction they have wrought on the Hungarian healthcare system." Tisza therefore promised to restore public healthcare, with at least 500 billion forints in additional funding and a reduction in waiting lists.

He reiterated that they would bring the frozen EU funds home and would focus on innovation and knowledge. "It's time to call corruption what it is: theft," Magyar said, noting that Orbán and his associates stole billions from the Hungarian people, which went to Hatvanpuszta, yachts, and private equity funds.

He spoke briefly about foreign policy issues, reiterating that the Tisza Party stands for peace, they reject war and violence, no matter what the propaganda is saying about them. The party's president promised that they would be tough on illegal migration and would oppose the migration pact, and would keep the fence along Hungary's southern border. He said that they also made this clear at the Munich Security Conference, along with their opposition to Ukraine's accelerated EU accession.

Summarizing the meetings he and the party’s leading figures had there a few days ago, he said that they only took one thing with them: the interests of the Hungarian people. He described that in just 24 hours, they held talks with a dozen leaders, all aimed at speeding up the process of bringing EU funds home after the change of government. He promised to recover everything that had been taken away from "this beautiful country over the past 16 years."

According to the Tisza president, Hungary belongs in Europe, because the two need each other.

"Those in power have turned families, friends, and entire communities against each other," Magyar said, adding that in his opinion, this is at least as great a crime as all that had been taken away from Hungarians financially. "A nation is strong when it is united, not divided; when it extends a hand in friendship, not hatred," he said. He believes that if people can look at each other without hatred again, Hungary will be more peaceful and happier, so “this decision will be about whether we will remain in a system based on fear, hatred, and theft, or whether we will finally take our future back.”

Magyar believes that the future belongs to freedom-loving Hungarians. He encouraged everyone to go out and vote and to tell everyone else to vote for Tisza. "God bless Hungary!" he said in closing.