Péter Magyar Enters Political Arena With Event Attracting Thousands
Photo by Zoltán Balogh/MTI.
Péter Magyar announced that he will establish a new, centrist political party in the near future, at an event on Andrássy út, which attracted thousands on Friday, Telex.hu reports.
Magyar, the ex-husband of former Justice Minister Judit Varga, rose to nationwide recognition about a month ago in the wake of an interview he gave to the popular Hungarian Youtube political channel "Partizán" in the wake of the clemency scandal that forced both Varga and President Katalin Novák to resign. The former diplomat and lawyer heavily criticized corruption in Hungary's political and business circles, as well as key government officials, such as Minister of the Prime Minister's Cabinet Office Antal Rogán.
While a month ago, he dismissed questions regarding entering politics, a recent Medián poll commissioned by HVG showed that if he had a party, Magyar would get up to 13% of votes from those who have heard of him.
At the event, he said that his new political force would "take back our country, our symbols, our expressions, and together we will build a modern, European Hungary where everyone is equal and every Hungarian's voice counts," according to Telex's report. He announced the creation of a political community called "Talpra, magyarok!" (Stand up, Hungarians!), and said a political party associated with it is set to follow soon.
Paying tribute to the 1848 revolutionaries, who came up with a 12-point list of demands, he announced his own program of 12 points. These included education and healthcare reforms, prioritizing environmental protection, joining the European Public Prosecutor's Office to fight corruption, as well as supporting Hungarian SMEs and farmers.
Referencing the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party and Winston Churchill in one sentence, Magyar said, "I do not promise eternal life and free beer, but neither do I expect blood, sweat, and tears. What I do promise is that together, cheerfully, listening to each other, trusting each other, brick by brick, we will build a new homeland, a modern European country where it is great to live and raise children."
He also said that "in a decade Hungary has become the second poorest and most corrupt country in the EU," arguing that small entrepreneurs and farmers are struggling for survival while the government was attracting multinational firms to Hungary with billions in subsidies.
Magyar also argued that things cannot go on as they have for the last 30 years, as Hungary is facing a moral, political, and economic crisis, adding that people have lost confidence in the entire political elite, and more are realizing that the battles and debates artificially created by politicians are designed to cover up what he called the transfer of national wealth to a narrow circle of friends.
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