The abuse scandal in a children’s home in Hungary continues to cause protests. Tens of thousands took to the streets in Budapest. After the resignation of a bishop close to him, the case also becomes a problem for Prime Minister Orban.
In Hungary, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the government in Budapest. Celebrities from the music and cultural scene as well as influencers called for the event. “We have had enough,” they wrote, calling on people to raise their voices for “victim protection, transparency, human decency and honest social dialogue.”
Her anger was sparked by an abuse scandal in a children’s home. Hungarian President Katalin Novak, who has since resigned, pardoned a man involved in the affair. The demonstrators blamed the government of right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban for the conditions in the children’s homes and for the authorities’ handling of violent crimes against children.
Bishop resigns
On Friday, the head of Hungary’s Protestant Reformed Church, Bishop Zoltan Balog, resigned over his involvement in the pedophilia scandal. Before he became a bishop, he was a close and influential political companion of Orban for decades. From May 2012 to May 2018, Balog was Minister of Human Resources, responsible for health, social affairs, youth, education, culture and sports.
“I made a serious political mistake, albeit on a pardon issue. I asked for mercy,” Balog said in a video address published on the Reformed Church’s homepage. He justified his resignation by saying that the case was damaging the reputation of his church.
Scandal becomes a problem for Orban
Balog is the third public figure to resign in the wake of this scandal. In addition to President Novak, the then Justice Minister Judit Varga, who was jointly responsible for the controversial pardon, also resigned from all offices.
Novak pardoned the former deputy director of a Catholic children’s home. He was sentenced to three years and four months for helping to cover up the abuse case.
The case is also becoming an increasing problem for Orban himself. His chief of staff Gergely Gulyas emphasized at a press conference that Orban only found out about the pardon last week. “The prime minister himself found out about the affair from the press,” said Gulyas. Orban will give his annual State of the Nation address on Saturday.
“System not as stable as it seems from the outside”
His confidants are now also criticizing him. Like Péter Magyar, who was previously married to the resigned Justice Minister Varga. In an interview, Orban’s party friend distanced himself: “If we don’t want our children to grow up in a family stock corporation like in Hungary, then it’s worth changing.”
The Hungarian system is “not as stable as it seems from the outside,” Magyar continued. He does not believe that Orban’s Fidesz party will remain a united bloc. However, the Fidesz politician misses a functioning opposition in Hungary.
With information from Wolfgang Vichtl, ARD Studio Vienna
Wolfgang Vichtl, ARD Vienna, tagesschau, February 17, 2024 12:23 a.m