Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that the era of passivity toward the current government’s actions, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, has ended. Orbán declared that his Fidesz party, now in opposition, is beginning a period of active resistance.
“I’m back!“ he wrote on X social media on 12 September.
On the same day, while speaking at the Kötcsei meeting—an event held annually since 3 September 2004, in Kötcsei, featuring conservative and nationalist politicians and sponsored by Orbán—he stated, “The grace period for the neo-communists is over. The gloves are off. We’re ready to fight!“
Orbán said Fidesz’s patience had run out and that it was time for political confrontation. He portrayed Brussels as a colonial master conducting intelligence operations, aiming to control Hungary’s entire industrial and financial sectors and strip the country of its wealth. Orbán accused the Tisza party of attempting to turn Hungary into a colony, urging resistance against the plans of both the EU and the Tisza party.
“We were patient, perhaps even more than we should have been. We were also fair, perhaps even more than we should have been, considering their behaviour. Five months have passed. This phase is over,“ Orbán stated, predicting a fierce political battle.
During his 16-year rule, Orbán established a corrupt state that undermined the rule of law and restricted freedoms through legislation affecting judicial independence, academic freedom, media freedom, and social and minority rights. His alliance with Vladimir Putin undermined EU unity and security, turning Hungary into a pariah in Europe.
In the April parliamentary elections, the opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, won 141 of the 199 seats in parliament, while Fidesz secured 52 seats. After the elections, Magyar became prime minister, ending Orbán’s regime.
Recently, the government has opened several investigations into Orbán’s deals with China, including potential fraud related to the previous government’s acquisition of ventilators valued at approximately $965 million during the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigations are also underway into a significant foreign investment by the Chinese automaker BYD, which former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó facilitated.
