Tens of thousands of Hungarians took to the streets of Budapest on April 14 to protest the electoral victory of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose rightwing Fidesz party won another term in office last week.
“I think the most important thing is to live in a transparent democracy,” a woman participating in the rally was quoted as saying by Euronews.
As reported by Euronews, Orban, who campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform, won two-thirds of seats in parliament with just 49% of the national vote.
Demonstrators want a recount of ballots, a free media, a new election law, and better cooperation among opposition parties.
“Many people in other places expressed their solidarity with protesters in Budapest,” said Euronews correspondent in Budapest, Andrea Hajagos. “There were also demonstrations in some of Hungary’s big towns and abroad, in at least 8 other countries.”
According to an article published by the Hungarian Free Press on April 14, Balázs Gulyas, one of the rally organisers, confirmed that forcing new elections in Hungary was the goal.
Addressing the crowd, Viktor Gyetvai, leader of Hungary’s Independent Student Parliament, said: “We say ‘no’ to oppression. This is the start of our protest so that we might regain hope, so that we are not forced to leave the country and so that a spiteful minority might never again win two-thirds”.
According to the Hungarian Free Press, the main question after this protest is: Will Viktor Orbán and his regime stop escalating political tension to a breaking point and will he offer some type of olive branch? If he believes that this protest has legs, history shows that he may.
