Overview
- Tens of thousands turned out on Oct. 23 for dueling marches marking the 1956 uprising, a show of strength six months before an expected April vote.
- Speaking after a government-organized “peace march,” Viktor Orbán vowed Hungary would not give money, weapons, or troops for Ukraine and depicted EU leaders as pushing for war.
- Péter Magyar led a separate “national march,” accusing Orbán of corruption and Kremlin-friendly rule and pledging to keep Hungary firmly anchored in the EU and NATO.
- A Trump–Putin summit in Budapest that Orbán had touted was shelved this week, removing a potential foreign-policy boost as both camps escalate their mobilization.
- Independent polling shows Tisza leading or neck-and-neck with Fidesz, EU development funds remain frozen over rule‑of‑law concerns, and pro‑government outlets have circulated AI-generated videos targeting Magyar.