Tens of thousands of Hungarians marched through Budapest’s frigid streets Saturday in a massive demonstration organized by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s primary political challenger, Péter Magyar. The protest erupted following shocking video evidence revealing systemic child abuse within state-operated juvenile correction facilities, creating the most significant challenge to Orbán’s administration since last year’s presidential pardon scandal.
The rally, organized by Magyar’s center-right Tisza party which currently leads Orbán’s Fidesz in independent polls, saw participants carrying torches in a solemn procession across the Danube River toward the government headquarters on Castle Hill. The movement gained momentum after recently published footage showed staff at a Budapest juvenile facility physically assaulting minors under their care.
This latest scandal compounds existing public outrage stemming from a 2024 crisis that forced both Hungary’s president and justice minister to resign after they endorsed pardons for individuals involved in covering up child sexual abuse cases. The former director of the correctional facility remains in police custody facing allegations of operating a prostitution ring alongside physical and sexual abuse charges against minors.
Magyar, a former Fidesz insider who has emerged as Orbán’s most formidable opponent, addressed the massive crowd by drawing direct connections between the current abuse cases and last year’s pardon scandal. “Orbán’s government promised everything, but since then, unfortunately, it turned out that every member of the Orbán government took the side of the abusers,” Magyar declared, demanding the prime minister’s resignation.
The government has responded by condemning the abuse depicted in the videos while simultaneously arguing that these revelations demonstrate the effectiveness of Hungary’s child protection systems. Several government officials, including Orbán himself, have emphasized that the facility housed juveniles who had committed crimes, characterizing the institution as essentially a prison for minors.
With elections anticipated in April, this growing scandal represents a rare vulnerability for Orbán, who has maintained nearly absolute control over Hungarian politics since returning to power in 2010. The government’s communications office declined to comment on the unfolding situation.