Thousands of Hungarians are set to march on Budapest demanding the resignation of senior politician János Lázár, who sparked outrage with racist remarks against Roma people earlier this month.
Lázár made the comments at a political forum, stating that since there were no migrants, Roma people would have to clean bathrooms on trains. His use of an offensive slur was captured on video and quickly spread online, prompting widespread condemnation from Hungarian Roma organizations, NGOs, and opposition politicians.
The backlash against Lázár has been intense, with many calling for his apology and resignation. The incident comes just 10 weeks before a crucial election that could cement or break the rule of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party.
Anti-Roma rhetoric is deeply ingrained in Hungarian society, but Lázár's comments have taken it too far. Roma communities face dire living conditions, higher levels of poverty, and lower life expectancy compared to the rest of the population. They are also overrepresented in low-paying public jobs that can be exploited by local politicians.
The opposition party Tisza is set to benefit from the outrage, with independent polls showing a stable lead ahead of Fidesz. The party's leader, Péter Magyar, has said Lázár "has crossed all boundaries".
However, some analysts believe that Fidesz may not lose much support over this issue, particularly among undecided voters who are drawn to right-wing parties like the far-right.
The incident is just the latest in a series of public policy failures for Fidesz, which has alienated many Hungarians. The party's campaign has struggled to win back lost ground, and its failure to address pressing issues such as the economy and welfare services has been cited by analysts.
Orbán himself will attend the protest on Saturday, accompanied by his partner Tamás Könyves, who will give a speech. It remains to be seen whether Lázár's resignation will be a positive move for Fidesz or simply a token gesture to appease the Roma community.
Lázár made the comments at a political forum, stating that since there were no migrants, Roma people would have to clean bathrooms on trains. His use of an offensive slur was captured on video and quickly spread online, prompting widespread condemnation from Hungarian Roma organizations, NGOs, and opposition politicians.
The backlash against Lázár has been intense, with many calling for his apology and resignation. The incident comes just 10 weeks before a crucial election that could cement or break the rule of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party.
Anti-Roma rhetoric is deeply ingrained in Hungarian society, but Lázár's comments have taken it too far. Roma communities face dire living conditions, higher levels of poverty, and lower life expectancy compared to the rest of the population. They are also overrepresented in low-paying public jobs that can be exploited by local politicians.
The opposition party Tisza is set to benefit from the outrage, with independent polls showing a stable lead ahead of Fidesz. The party's leader, Péter Magyar, has said Lázár "has crossed all boundaries".
However, some analysts believe that Fidesz may not lose much support over this issue, particularly among undecided voters who are drawn to right-wing parties like the far-right.
The incident is just the latest in a series of public policy failures for Fidesz, which has alienated many Hungarians. The party's campaign has struggled to win back lost ground, and its failure to address pressing issues such as the economy and welfare services has been cited by analysts.
Orbán himself will attend the protest on Saturday, accompanied by his partner Tamás Könyves, who will give a speech. It remains to be seen whether Lázár's resignation will be a positive move for Fidesz or simply a token gesture to appease the Roma community.
. people are fed up with all this hate speech and racism. Lázár thought he could just spew his racist nonsense and not face any consequences? now he's facing backlash and protests, but will it be enough to make him resign? 
the fact that he's still going ahead with a public event despite the outrage is mind-boggling 
this whole thing is just so messed up - like, I get that Hungary has its own issues and problems, but does it have to involve racism?! 
Lázár's comments were not only hurtful but also completely out of touch with reality... like, who says something like that in a public forum? 
and now the opposition party is trying to capitalize on this, which I kinda get - they're the ones speaking truth to power, you know? 
but at the same time, it's also super concerning that Lázár might not lose much support among undecided voters... like, doesn't that just perpetuate the problem?! 
It's just not right. And the fact that Lázár is still going to attend the protest on Saturday? Like, what's he even doing there? Trying to save face or something? 
We need more people like Péter Magyar who are willing to speak out against this kind of nonsense. And yeah, maybe Lázár's resignation will be just a token gesture, but at least he should apologize and take responsibility for his actions. 