Hungarian government launches anti-EU campaign targeting former Fidesz Ally

The Hungarian government has initiated a new wave of anti-European Union billboard campaigns in the lead-up to the EU elections.

This time, the campaigns focus on high-profile EU opposition figures, depicting them as agents of the European Commission, especially President Ursula von der Leyen. At the center of the attacks is Péter Magyar, a former ally of the ruling Fidesz party who has emerged as a prominent opposition leader challenging Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Péter Magyar is positioning his recently-launched political party, TISZA, as the new force to challenge Fidesz’s dominance. Earlier this month, he addressed a massive crowd of supporters, accusing the government of betraying its electorate. The TISZA party intends to participate in the upcoming European elections in June, indicating a shift in Hungary’s political landscape. “I laugh at these posters that suggest I am a leftist or a puppet of Ursula von der Leyen. I will never be,” Magyar told Euronews. “Our party supports a European Union based on strong member states, will join the European Prosecutor’s Office, and aims to be part of the European People’s Party from which Fidesz was expelled.”

Trained as a lawyer and former Hungarian diplomat, Péter Magyar was once married to Judit Varga, the former justice minister under the Fidesz government. The media often portrayed them as the epitome of a conservative family. Magyar had previously announced his intention to leave politics to care for their three young children. However, the couple’s divorce in March 2023 and a subsequent scandal involving Varga’s resignation have dramatically altered Magyar’s trajectory.

In February 2023, Judit Varga and former Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned from their positions following a scandal that implicated them in issuing a presidential pardon to an individual convicted of covering up sexual abuse at a children’s home. This scandal undermined Orban’s government and provided an opportunity for Magyar to step into the spotlight as a leading opposition figure.

Less than a year after his divorce, Péter Magyar became a vocal critic of the government. In April, he launched the TISZA party with the intention of challenging Fidesz’s grip on power. “Let’s see how afraid the authorities are and whether they will try to stop us with administrative measures,” Magyar remarked. “The June 9 election will be a turning point. If we stand united, nothing and no one can stop us from taking back our country,” he said.

With the EU elections on the horizon and TISZA’s growing momentum, the political scene in Hungary is set for a significant shake-up. The Hungarian government’s new anti-EU campaign reflects a defensive stance in the face of rising opposition, with Magyar and his party poised to play a crucial role in shaping the future of Hungarian politics.