Prime Minister Viktor Orbán re-election campaign took a turn for the worse on Friday in the former Fidesz stronghold of Győr.
Perhaps never before have so many counter-protesters greeted the prime minister during his country tour as in the city’s central square, HVG writes.
Orbán was forced to address them in a raised voice from the stage several times, which sounded more like frightened shouting than decisive action. Meanwhile, in the crowd, black-clad, seemingly organized Fidesz sympathizers tried to prevent the police from entering the square.
Mayor Bence Pintér demanded answers from Interior Minister Sándor Pintér after reports that black-clad individuals confronted protesters and journalists during the event.
It was proven that many people in the city, which has been loyal to Fidesz for decades, are dissatisfied with the ruling party, and the overwhelming presence of counter-protesters
seems to have thrown Orbán off his game.
Orbán told the gathering that his camp represents “love and solidarity”, in contrast to opponents he described as driven by “anger and destruction”.
He also claimed that some attendees were provocateurs sent to disrupt the event, saying such figures appear regularly at rallies and should be exposed. He repeated his accusation that Ukraine is backing the Tisza Party to install a pro-Ukrainian government, telling counter-protesters that they were “not standing with Hungarians”, but
with Ukrainians.
Orbán’s chaotic appearance in Győr, losing control – shouting, forgetting his own candidate’s name, and confronting counter-protesters – led political scientist Gábor Török toa clear conclusion, HVG observes.
While he initially said any shift would be revealed on April 12, Török noted that the rally in Győr already signals change, as this tone undermines Fidesz’s carefully built image of
calm, control, and authority.
He noted the incident may signal a shift in the political climate, with potential implications for the upcoming period.