Steven N.
Péter Márki-Zay, the united opposition’s candidate for prime minister, has filed a complaint with the Hódmezővásárhely prosecutor’s office because he believes that allegations leveled by Viktor Orbán and the pro-government media meet the criteria of spreading fear and incitement.
At a press conference on Friday, the prime ministerial candidate said that statements by Fidesz politicians and their media qualify as incitement of hatred, such as claiming that he will take away the 13th month pension benefit from retirees. The opposition actually promised the opposite of this in its platform, but Fidesz’s speeches are causing tension that is directed against the opposition community and its politicians.
However, Márki-Zay said that the charge of spreading fear is even more serious. The opposition politician again denied that he would send Hungarian soldiers to fight in Ukraine, claiming that he had never said so.
These allegations by members of the government and pro-government media are especially contradictory, said Márki-Zay, because Hungary is doing exactly what they are accusing him of: allowing arms to be transferred to Ukraine. In addition, Defense Minister Tibor Benkő has said that Hungary’s security is ensured by NATO.
Moreover, Viktor Orbán is not even able to protect Hungarian airspace from a drone that passed through it, said the opposition politician. He added that government statements were only good for instilling fear in people.
Márki-Zay expressed the hope that the prosecutor’s office would storm into the Prime Minister’s Office in the Carmelite Monastery after his files his complaint.
A few hours before Márki-Zay’s press conference, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote in a Facebook post that the “Hungarian left” continues to demand that “Hungary supply arms to the war in the neighboring country.”
“Our position, however, is clear. Despite demands from the opposition, we are not going to supply arms to the war in Ukraine,” Szijjártó said.
[HVG][Photo: Péter Márki-Zay / Facebook]
