Propaganda posters of the ruling party "Fidesz-Hungarian Civil Union" were attacked by vandals in the center of Budapest already in the first days of the campaign for elections to the European Parliament and local authorities that started in Hungary. According to Fidesz representatives, the police arrested one of the attackers, who is probably a supporter of the opposition.
There have been several incidents, particularly in the 8th district of Budapest, which bears the historical name of Josefváros. The candidate for the post of the head of the municipality from the ruling party, Demetre Silagi, accused his rival, the current head of the municipality András Pico, who enjoys the support of a coalition of opposition parties.
„Mr Pico and his famous gang have started a campaign. On the very first day, they tore down the posters. Thanks to the police who caught the first vandal. They can break the windows in our office, tear down our posters, but we will just keep working because we want a change in this area,” Silagi wrote on his Facebook page. He accompanied the post with a series of photos of Fidesz propaganda posters that had been torn or damaged in the city's streets.
The official start of the election campaign in Hungary was given on April 19. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, speaking in Budapest at a meeting of party activists and Fidesz MPs, said the stakes in the European Parliament elections this time will be extremely high. According to him, it is a matter of “war and peace”, that is, a choice between supporters of a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and those who support the continuation of military actions.
From the beginning, the Hungarian government has consistently called on the warring parties to sit down at the negotiating table and has refused to direct weapons at Ukraine. At the same time, the Hungarian left-wing opposition supports the EU leadership in this regard and advocates providing assistance to the Ukrainian army.
Along with the elections for the European Parliament, which will be held in the EU countries from June 6 to 9, elections for local authorities will be held in Hungary, including for the positions of mayors of large cities, including Budapest.< /span>