Hungarians criticize Orban in a huge rally

A rally of thousands was held in Budapest

One of the largest rallies in recent years took place in the Hungarian capital. The rally was organized in support of teachers and to criticize the policies of the country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Budapest on Saturday for a protest rally. They demanded that teachers’ salaries be raised to a level comparable to inflation in Hungary. People also criticized the government, and in particular Prime Minister Viktor Orban. 

Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltan,www.dailynewshungary.com

The rally took place on the anniversary of the Hungarian revolution of 1956 and was a continuation of the protests that started in the autumn against a background of 20 percent inflation.

On top of all this, people are expressing dissatisfaction with Orban’s ties to Russia and personally to Putin by writing “Orban, disappear” and “Russians, come back home” on banners. Organizers estimate the number of protesters at 80,000.

Hungary is currently experiencing difficult times, with inflation at its highest level in two decades and the national currency plummeting to record levels.

 And Orban’s political stance makes EU aid impossible because the Orban government does not adhere to democratic standards.

Orban criticizes EU

At the time of the protests in Budapest, Orban was 220 km from the capital, in the town of Zalaegerszeg. He was giving a speech to mark the anniversary of the Hungarian revolution. In his speech, Orban criticized Western countries for “betraying” him during the 1956 events saying “If the West had not betrayed us for the second time since 1945, we could have succeeded.”