Dec 14, 2025, 10:51 amDec 14, 2025, 10:51 am
Tens of thousands took to the streets in Budapest.Image: keystone
Tens of thousands of people protested in Budapest against the government of right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The trigger was new information about a long-simmering abuse scandal. The demonstrators followed a call from Peter Magyar’s Tisza opposition party.
On Friday, Magyar published information from a government report that has been available since 2021 but has been kept secret, according to which more than 3,000 cases of child abuse in state care institutions are known. Hungary’s Interior Ministry confirmed the report.
The issue of child abuse in state institutions has been an explosive political issue since February 2024. At that time, President Katalin Novak was forced to resign due to public pressure after it became known that she had pardoned the deputy director of an orphanage who had been convicted of aiding and abetting pedophile acts.
Accusations of covering up abuse strengthen opposition
Magyar took this scandal, which was accompanied by major protests, as an opportunity to start a broad opposition movement, led by the newly revitalized Tisza party. Tisza is now ahead of Orban’s Fidesz party in polls. For the first time, Orban, who has been in power since 2010, has to fear losing a parliamentary election. The next election is in April 2026.
In addition, this summer there was another scandal involving possible criminal activities in a youth detention center in Budapest. Three employees were arrested in this context – including a former director who is accused, among other things, of running a prostitution ring.
Recently, images from a surveillance camera were made public showing a director of this institution kicking a boy in the head. Four employees were taken into custody at the beginning of the week, and the government placed all such facilities under police supervision. (sda/dpa)