The elections will be a referendum on Viktor Orbán's corrupt rule and on EU and NATO membership – Péter Magyar

"In these parts, anyone concerned with the fate of our homeland tends to express their thoughts more quietly and with greater consideration, for it is here that our great kings lie buried," the president of the Tisza Party, Péter Magyar began his speech on Saturday in Székesfehérvár, the historic town that once served as the capital of Hungary. "Thank you for your friendly hospitality, thank you for being here, and thank you for havingme" he said, as he began his speech shortly after Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concluded his at the free summer university in Romania's Baile Tusnad.

Magyar began by reflecting on how the modern history of Europe changed in February of 2022, when the Russian-Ukrainian war broke out. "Today we live in a world where freedom is not a given, but something that must be fought for." Magyar also quoted Orwell, saying that currently, "war is peace, and peace is war."

Hungary must once and for all take its place at the table of the West

The leader of the Tisza Party then went on to speak about new challenges that will emerge in the next 10 years, which Hungary cannot afford to passively endure. According to Magyar, the transatlantic world is based on equality and freedom, while the Eastern world is based on fear and threats.

"Hungary must once and for all take its place at the table of the West. It can no longer keep going back and forth between East and West."

"Our place is in Europe, it always has been and always will be," he said. He believes that Hungary will only have a strong voice if it is a respectable member of the Western community. "The road that leads back to the East is a dead end," Magyar said. Without EU membership, he said, there would be borders and barriers criss-crossing the country, freely working and studying in Europe would not be possible, and we would lose the freedom that Hungary has fought for over the past 1,100 years. These are the things Orbán would deprive the country of.

Like an unruly child in a candy store

According to Magyar, in the EU, Viktor Orbán resembles an unruly child in a candy store: "He fills his pockets, and when someone reprimands him, he gets offended and vetoes."

Magyar said that Orbán's vetoes in the EU are not for the sake of Hungary, but he is using them to preserve his own power and wealth. The Tisza Party, in contrast, wants to pursue an approach where they endeavour to persuade their allies and ensure that every last forint of EU funds is brought home.

"We must govern our shared home, Europe, jointly and responsibly alongside our European allies," he said.

According to him, this includes stating that Tisza is not in favor of Ukraine's accelerated EU accession, nor of the EU's new long-term budget.He added that he is preparing for long and tough negotiations and will seek compromises that put the interests of Hungarians first.

According to Magyar, the Tisza Party and its supporters have a lot of work to do right now. The party president promised a proper government program and a social contract.

"The time has come to stand tall again, both at home and in the world," Magyar said.

How would the Tisza Party govern?

Magyar began to list the principles of a future Tisza Party government.

• The first principle is that Hungary is not alone in the world. According to Magyar, it is essential to maintain good relations with neighboring countries, as our relationship with them fundamentally determines Hungary's fate. "We can't be launching billboard campaigns against them, and we certainly cannot send János Lázár to their cities to make bogus videos." (Years ago, the current Minister of Construction and Transport, János Lázár recorded a video walking the streets of Vienna, claiming that certain neighbourhoods have been overrun by violent migrants – TN)
• The second is that Hungary is a member of the EU. Our relationship with other member states cannot be based on a policy of "being the stick in their wheels."
• The third point: Hungary is a member of NATO. In Magyar's view, the world's military alliance guarantees Hungary's security. "It is a shame to be the weakest link in this military alliance." He said that he considers it a crime that a member state of NATO is allowing Russian spies to freely roam around.
• The politician mentioned the V4 as his fourth point. According to Péter Magyar, his predecessors were already aware that their countries' path led towards the West. "The diplomatic work of the V4 did not come to an end with the completion of EU accession" and cooperation has continued in many areas, including economic issues."It's against this past that Viktor Orbán has managed to bring Polish-Hungarian relations to a low point," Magyar said, adding that Hungary's harboring of the former Polish minister (wanted for crimes at home) is also contributing to the undermining of the two countries' centuries-old relationship. The president of Tisza then recalled some of the many times Poles and Hungarians have helped each other throughout history.

Magyar promised that the first trip of the Tisza government's prime minister would lead to Warsaw, the second to Vienna, and the third to Brussels. "And he would remain there until he succeeds in resuming negotiations on the EU funds," he added.

What is needed for Hungary's success?

The fundamental condition for Hungary's success is the strengthening of the Central European region, Magyar said. According to him, the investments coming from the East have not brought the expected or desired results. Eastern investors are working with their own, existing closed supply chains, they bring their own workforce with them, exploit the country's resources and then move on, he said. According to him, these countries are not building economic relations, but are using economic investments as part of their expansion strategy.

Magyar said that instead of this, Hungary should join the Western, open value chain and create value there. Reforming the Hungarian education system is indispensable for achieving this. He said that the skills of Hungarians who have moved abroad in recent years are an unused resource that should be brought back home.

Magyar announced that the Tisza government will be launching an Academy of Diplomacy. "We will need professionals who can create the conditions for Hungary's prosperity even in these conflict-ridden times," he said.

Péter Magyar promised that under a Tisza government, Hungary would treat all peoples with respect, but would also demand the same in return. He believes that the 2026 election will effectively be a referendum on Viktor Orbán's "corrupt power" and on whether Hungary wants to remain a member of NATO and the EU. "The security of Europe and Hungary is at stake here and now," he said.

"Europe must be a partner in Africa," Magyar said on the subject of migration. In his view, we should be partners in solving problems, but the solutions must be found locally. He said that mass migration must be stopped by achieving conditions under which these people would no longer want to or have to come to Europe.

Matters of security

Magyar also evaluated Hungary's performance in the area of security. In his opinion, there have been some partial successes, such as the border fence, which he believes should remain in place. "We will take a firm stance on refugee policy both here, at home and in Europe. Unlike Orbán's government, Tisza will not release a single human trafficker."

The Tisza won't accept the migrant quotas either, nor will it accept the country being punished for this.

"And let it be clear: Viktor Orbán is lying when he says that paying the related penalties is the best investment the EU could have made, because he's not the one paying this fine, it's you, the Hungarian people," he said.

The president of the Tisza Party said that Hungary is safe in NATO and the EU, but if it were to be left on its own it could end up like Ukraine. "In the new, changed world order, the EU and NATO are the guarantors of Hungary's security." In his opinion, anyone who is continuously obstructing the functioning of these alliances through vetoes is putting Hungary's security at risk.

Péter Magyar said that Orbán and his team are only talking about national sovereignty, but have done nothing to ensure that the conditions for it are in place. In his opinion, there is only one thing needed to make Hungary great: real leaders whose goal is not to ‘plunder the country’.”

On the subject of prosperity, he said that belonging to the West and Europe means not having to worry about whether you have enough money in your wallet when you go shopping, and everyone being able to go on vacation at least once a year for a week, or not having to choose between paying your bills and buying food.

Magyar spent much time criticizing the state of Hungarian public services, highlighting the inadequate state of public transportation, healthcare, education, and the road infrastructure. “The Hungarian state exists only on paper; it has become effectively dysfunctional,” he said.

According to him, Orbán spends hours talking about the big issues of the world, but pays virtually no attention to the everyday lives of the Hungarian people.

According to Péter Magyar, the most painful thing is that Hungary has lost its vision of the future, with the majority of young people envisioning their future in the "declining West”. And this is not because they don't love their country, but because they have no certainty about their future at home. He believes that the reason why there are so few children born in Hungary is because young people do not have the security they need. The Tisza Party wants to change this.

Orbán keeps forming alliances with extremists all over Europe and is undermining European unity everywhere, according to Magyar. Despite this, the Tisza president does not consider it realistic that Orbán would lead the country out of the EU. However, it is quite possible that the country will lose access to funds that are essential to its functioning.

A country built on differences of opinion

Magyar also said that, unlike Fidesz, the Tisza government will never act as if they alone possessed all knowledge, as if they alone were right, and that Tisza will represent all Hungarians regardless of their party affiliation. "Calling someone a traitor just because they see things differently, now that's what's a crime!"

According to him, a democratic Hungary must be built on differences of opinion. The Tisza Party has also formulated its demands in this regard in six points:

These include the idea that our homeland belongs to everyone who wants to participate in shaping its future with integrity and responsibility. They demand that no one be labeled a traitor because of their political convictions. They also demand that media personalities stop inciting hatred and stirring up animosity. They want the Hungarian state to represent all of its citizens and for diversity and respectful dialogue to become the norm in politics.

"We should strengthen our conviction that, for the good of our country, we must remain in the EU and NATO,"

the president of Tisza said. At the end of his speech, he asked everyone to stand united against Orbán's rhetoric of hatred and incitement. "Let's stand up for all Hungarians, even if they disagree with us," he said. "One nation, one flag, one homeland above all else," he concluded.