Hungary: Scandals and Economy Weaken Orbán Ahead of Elections
A series of scandals related to child protection and the poor performance of the Hungarian economy are weakening Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of the parliamentary elections in Hungary, which will be held in four months.
The emergence of PĂ©ter Magyar as the leader of the opposition has brought a new dynamic to the Hungarian political scene. PĂ©ter Magyar's Tisza party has been leading in independent polls for a year.
Orbán has multiplied announcements regarding the economy, such as the establishment of state-subsidized loans for the purchase of first homes, income tax exemption for mothers with three children, and a 14th pension.
New revelations about physical and sexual abuse of children in care facilities are likely to cost Fidesz dearly. On Friday, PĂ©ter Magyar published a 2001 report documenting more than 3,000 cases of child abuse.
Approximately 50,000 people demonstrated in Budapest on Saturday at the invitation of PĂ©ter Magyar to demand the resignation of the government.
Hungarian President Katalin Novák was forced to resign after granting a pardon to an accomplice of someone convicted of crimes against children.
Parliament passed a law making it difficult to remove President Tamás Sulyok, an Orbán ally, whose term expires in 2030.