The establishment of the authoritarian regime has reached a new level – the Tisza Party aims to crush the opposition through politically motivated prosecutions and violence

Péter Magyar and the Tisza Party have taken the establishment of their authoritarian regime in Hungary to a new level by initiating politically motivated proceedings, wrote Tamás Deutsch, head of the Fidesz–KDNP delegation to the European Parliament, and Kinga Gál, president of the delegation, in a letter sent to MEPs.

The letter is available below.

Honourable Members of Parliament, 

By launching politically motivated proceedings, Péter Magyar and the Tisza Party have today taken the establishment of their authoritarian regime to a new level.

The new regime had previously carried out a constitutional coup in Hungary.

Through retroactive and tailor-made legislation – in a move unprecedented in Europe – the new parliamentary majority prevented the leader of the opposition from returning to the post of Prime Minister; severely restricted the voting rights of Hungarian citizens in order to remove opposition politicians from public life; removed the head of state from office with a single stroke of the pen three years before the end of his term; and, in a similar manner, removed several members of the Constitutional Court, including its president, from their posts.

Following the constitutional coup, Péter Magyar and his followers have now launched politically motivated proceedings with the aim of violently suppressing the political opposition.

Two months ago, during a heated outburst at a session of the Hungarian Parliament, Péter Magyar publicly accused Balázs Hankó, the former Fidesz Minister for Culture and current opposition MP, and threatened him with imprisonment. When the accused former Fidesz Minister for Culture asked to speak in order to refute the false allegations, Péter Magyar instructed the Speaker of the House to cut his speech and called on the MPs from the Tisza party to publicly humiliate him.

Acting on Péter Magyar’s personal instructions, the authorities then launched politically motivated proceedings against the former Fidesz Minister of Culture on false charges. Péter Magyar announced the launch of the politically motivated proceeding in advance in a Facebook post. All of this constitutes a serious violation of the independence of the judiciary.

The ruling parliamentary majority has already decided, in an expedited procedure, to suspend the former Fidesz culture minister’s parliamentary immunity. Balázs Hankó has refuted, point by point, the false allegations levelled against him in public. He is currently still in the Hungarian Parliament building, carrying out his duties as an MP, but the police could arrive at Parliament at any moment to arrest him in accordance with political instructions. Earlier in the day, another opposition MP was arrested as part of a politically motivated case brought against him, following the suspension of his parliamentary immunity.

Honourable Members of Parliament,

What is currently taking place in Hungary is the establishment of an authoritarian regime based on hatred and intimidation and built upon the daily abuse of power. It has become standard practice for Péter Magyar to openly issue instructions to the police and the public prosecutor’s office. The obvious aim of the show trials initiated by this authoritarian regime is the complete eradication of the opposition.

The Fidesz-KDNP delegation in the European Parliament condemns these violent abuses of power and stands in solidarity with the victims of tyranny. No matter how brutal or unlawful the means employed by the ruling powers, we stand by our principles, our values and every member of our political community.

Yours sincerely,

Kinga Gál, president of the Hungarian delegation of the Patriots for Europe Group

Tamás Deutsch, head of the Hungarian delegation of the Patriots for Europe Group