Thousands of Hungarians protested today against the nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban in a rally held in the bastion of the ruling party - the city of Debrecen. The protest took place a few weeks before the European and local elections, which will take place in early June, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The organizer of the demonstration in Debrecen, which gathered nearly 10,000 people, was Peter Magyar, a one-time government functionary considered by some observers to be a serious threat to Orbán.
FIDES candidates have been winning elections in the city since the late 1990s with nearly two-thirds of the vote, according to Reuters.
Speaking to supporters who waved national flags, Magyar took aim at one of Orbán's main policy themes, criticizing what he said were Hungary's extremely low child benefits.
"If you tell this to someone in Europe, no one will believe you," said Magyar.
Orbán claims that among the member states of the European Union, Hungary spends the largest share of its budget to support families.
"We need a completely new system in which social support is really based on public needs," added Magyar.
In his words, Hungary is governed by a "relationship elite" - something he has promised to change if he is supported in the election.
International organizations claim that Orbán diverted funds from European funds to businessmen close to FIDES in order to stay in power. Orbán himself says that corruption in Hungary is not greater than in other countries, Reuters points out.