Hungary celebrated its national day on Tuesday. March 15 is the anniversary of the Hungarian rebellion against the Austrian Empire in 1848. Two and a half weeks before the legislative elections scheduled for April 3, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his opponent Peter Marki-Zay organized two rival markets. More than 100,000 supporters of Viktor Orban marched for the “peace march”, while in the opposing camp, the crowd was smaller: several thousand opposition supporters had made the trip.
With our correspondent in Budapest, Florence La Bruyere
Ukraine has invited itself into the Hungarian electoral campaign. Hungarian sovereigntist Prime Minister, who has cultivated a close relationship with Vladimir Putin for 10 years, carefully avoids blaming Moscow for the attack on Ukraine. But he has muted his pro-Russian rhetoric and now poses as a defender of peace. An attitude that reassures his voters.
On Parliament Square, decked out in green-white-red flags, Viktor Orban accuses the opposition of wanting to send arms and men to Ukraine. “We must stay away from this conflict “, he insists. Zsuzsa, a retired decorator, agrees wholeheartedly. ” We must not send arms or soldiers. I am here to support Viktor Orban. He’s the best politician on the planet! (laughs) “.
“A little Russia…”
A few kilometers away, Peter Marki-Zay, the opposition candidate for the post of Prime Minister, speaks in front of several thousand people. He denounces Viktor Orban’s pro-Putin line. Coding with a dictator is a shame for Hungary, says Andras, a 34-year-old engineer. ” By supporting Putin, Orban did not work for peace, he vetoed European decisions. Dividing Europe and dividing Hungary, I don’t call that working for peace. Our country is becoming a little Russia! »
However, Viktor Orban’s plea for peace seems to benefit him. According to a recent poll, his party is credited with 39% of voting intentions, against 32% for the opposition.