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Shot Fired at Fidesz Activist as Hungary’s Election Campaign Escalates

Shot Fired at Fidesz Activist as Hungary’s Election Campaign Escalates

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Hungary’s election campaign escalated to an unprecedented level over the weekend after an activist of Viktor Orbán’s governing Fidesz–KDNP alliance was shot at while collecting signatures in the town of Szentendre, near Budapest. Government officials blamed the atmosphere of political hatred surrounding the campaign and linked the incident to the increasingly aggressive rhetoric of the opposition Tisza party.

Hungary’s election campaign escalated to an unprecedented level over the weekend after an activist of Viktor Orbán’s governing Fidesz–KDNP alliance was shot at on Saturday while collecting signatures in Szentendre, around 20 kilometres from the capital, Budapest.

According to a video recording shared by State Secretary for Government Communication Eszter Vitályos, the activist was gathering signatures in the town when a resident fired at him from a window with a gas pistol.

The activist escaped without injuries and is expected to file a police report regarding the incident.

‘This is the consequence of the hatred incited by Tisza,’ Vitályos wrote in the caption accompanying the video on social media, referring to the main opposition party led by Fidesz defector Péter Magyar. ‘This is where the constant agitation and hate campaign of Péter Magyar lead,’ she continued, emphasizing that ‘political violence has no place in Hungary.’ ‘We stand by our activists and expect all political actors to immediately stop inciting hatred,’ Vitályos concluded.

Hungary is preparing for a highly contested parliamentary election in April, with Orbán and his challenger running neck and neck according to several credible polls. The campaign has already been marked by rising tensions, with deteriorating Hungarian–Ukrainian relations and energy security emerging as central issues in the final phase of the race.

Just two days earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy openly threatened Orbán, warning of military action unless the Hungarian prime minister lifts his veto on a €90 billion EU loan to Kyiv. At the same time, Ukraine continues to halt oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, a key route for Hungary’s energy supplies.

Orbán and government officials accuse Kyiv of openly interfering in Hungary’s democratic process in an attempt to undermine his leadership and install a pro-Ukraine government led by the Tisza party. This week, Orbán said in an interview that Tisza receives significant financial support from Ukrainian sources, citing classified intelligence reports.

Related articles:

Zelenskyy Says Orbán Will Lose April Election
Are the Fake Tisza Polls Setting Up a ‘Stolen Election’ Narrative?
Hungary’s election campaign escalated to an unprecedented level over the weekend after an activist of Viktor Orbán’s governing Fidesz–KDNP alliance was shot at while collecting signatures in the town of Szentendre, near Budapest. Government officials blamed the atmosphere of political hatred surrounding the campaign and linked the incident to the increasingly aggressive rhetoric of the opposition Tisza party.
Joakim Scheffer graduated from the University of Szeged with a Master’s degree in International Relations. Before joining Hungarian Conservative, he worked as an editor at the foreign policy desk of Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet and serves as the editor of Eurasia magazine.

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