On Hungary’s national day, the governing Fidesz party and the main opposition held large, rival demonstrations as both sides sought to energize voters ahead of the tight April 12 election. The events highlighted the clash between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, 62, and opposition leader Péter Magyar, 44, who aims to end Orbán’s 16-year tenure and steer Hungary toward firmer support for Ukraine.
Fidesz, which has trailed Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party in polls since last year, organized a mass “peace march” that crossed the Danube toward the parliament in Budapest. In his speech, Orbán criticized Ukraine and accused it of aggressions against Hungary amid an escalating dispute involving Kyiv’s halt of Russian oil shipments to Hungary and Hungarian authorities’ detention of a Ukrainian cash consignment. A banner leading the march declared that Hungary would not become a “Ukrainian colony.”
Orbán framed the vote around security and sovereignty, warning of the twin threats of war and large-scale migration and promising to keep Hungary stable and insulated amid global turbulence. He cast the election as a choice between closer ties with Russia or alignment with the European Union, while reiterating a friendly posture toward the Kremlin. He also attacked EU institutions in strong terms, using vivid language about outsiders intervening in Hungary’s affairs.
Across Budapest at Heroes’ Square, Magyar addressed a crowd estimated at about 100,000 and accused Orbán of allowing Russian influence to try to sway the election. Some supporters chanted for the removal of Russian influence. Magyar presented a pro-European, pro-NATO vision, saying Hungary belongs in the West and the European community as a matter of national destiny rather than mere treaty obligations.
He also accused Orbán of putting personal power above the nation’s unity, alleging the prime minister stokes fear and confrontation to hold onto office. The dueling rallies underlined the deep polarization in Hungary ahead of a vote that could reshape the country’s foreign policy direction and domestic politics.