Orban accuses Tisza of 'abuse of power', claims leaders enjoy luxury lifestyles
Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the ruling Tisza Party of abusing state power and living lavish lifestyles on Saturday, as he secured re-election as leader of the opposition Fidesz party following its election defeat in April.
Speaking at a party congress in Budapest, Orban dismissed corruption allegations against his former government and turned his criticism towards Tisza officials, claiming newly released asset declarations revealed significant personal wealth among members of the ruling party.
“The newly published asset declarations have shown the entire country that Tisza Party representatives are wealthy,” Orban said.
“They have also taken the lead in luxury lifestyles. Gifted BMWs are flying around, ministers are being driven in Maseratis, while our representatives can only look on,” he added.
Orban also condemned what he described as politically motivated investigations into his former administration, arguing that the government's actions amounted to an abuse of power.
“The current showcase investigations, politically motivated proceedings, aggressiveness and abuse of power will ultimately work in our favour,” he said. “The government is gradually entering into an abusive relationship with the entire country.”
His remarks came after Hungary's Integrity Authority said senior officials from the Orban era could potentially face prosecution over an estimated €3.5 billion in missing EU funds. While neither Orban nor members of his inner circle have been directly accused, parliament has established five commissions to investigate alleged corruption under his administration.
Despite attacking the government, Orban acknowledged that Fidesz had contributed to its own defeat in April's election. “Our election message did not work, while our opponents' message proved far more attractive,” he said.
Delegates overwhelmingly voted to keep Orban as Fidesz leader, backing him by 729 votes to eight.
The former prime minister's re-election comes as Fidesz seeks to rebuild after losing power to Peter Magyar's Tisza Party, which secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority in April.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
