In a significant political development, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces mounting pressure as tens of thousands of protesters, led by his chief political rival Péter Magyar, marched through Budapest. The demonstration was sparked by newly published videos showing employees at a state-run juvenile correction facility physically abusing children, a scandal that has reignited public fury over child protection failures. Magyar, whose center-right Tisza party now leads Orbán’s Fidesz in most independent polls, seized on the issue to accuse the government of systemic neglect and call for Orbán’s resignation ahead of expected April elections.
This protest taps into deep-seated public anger, recalling a major political crisis from early 2024 when Hungary’s president and justice minister resigned over a pardon granted to a man involved in covering up child sexual abuse at an orphanage. Protesters, many bearing torches in the cold evening, marched toward Orbán’s offices on Castle Hill, with participants like Sándor Horvát expressing a widespread belief that the government’s tenure is ending. The scandal represents a rare vulnerability for Orbán, who has maintained near-total control since 2010, and has been amplified by Magyar—a former Fidesz insider turned vocal critic.
In his address to the crowd, Magyar directly linked the current abuse allegations to last year’s pardon scandal, framing the government as consistently siding with abusers over vulnerable children. He challenged Orbán’s administration on its fundamental commitment to child protection, stating it had failed to improve conditions despite previous promises. The government, meanwhile, has condemned the abuse seen in the videos but has simultaneously defended Hungary’s child protection system, arguing that the exposure of these cases proves the system is effectively rooting out wrongdoing.
The political fallout is intensified by the government’s depiction of the juvenile facility’s residents as criminals, a framing that critics say attempts to deflect from state responsibility. With police having raided the correction center and its former head in custody on suspicion of operating a prostitution ring and other crimes, the opposition accuses Orbán’s government of years of inaction. As elections approach, this protest underscores how child welfare scandals have become a potent rallying point for challenging Orbán’s long-standing political dominance, testing his government’s resilience amid growing public demand for accountability.
Ez a cikk a Neural News AI (V1) verziójával készült.
Forrás: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/orb-ns-rival-leads-protest-192304092.html.