The mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony also shared his thoughts about how the outcome of the elections could influence the Hungarian capital. The opposition mayor has had a rocky relationship with the Orbán government for many years. Overtime, the government has gradually introduced several measures which have significantly reduced the capital’s income, almost resulting in insolvency several times.
“In a small country like this, pitting such a large capital city against the entire country is a strategy that will destroy the nation,” Karácsony said.
Speaking in Telex’s studio, Karácsony said he doesn’t see “how Hungary’s EU membership could be compatible with a Fidesz administration in the long term”. In his view, if Orbán and his party remain in power and continue their policies, it will ultimately lead to Hungary’s exit from the EU.
“Overriding the perspective offered by the European Union amounts to betraying our homeland,” he stated.
He noted that it would be a mistake to expect immediate change if Fidesz were to leave power. This kind of approach "by definition usually leads to disappointment" – which is usually followed by a return to the old ways, which Orbán’s friends in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the United States have managed to achieve, he explained.
“All political change that moved Hungary closer to Europe has originated in Budapest,” Gergely Karácsony stated at the end of the interview, emphasizing that they have a political mission. In his view, humanist values have been confined to the “reservation” that is Budapest, but now there's a potential to release these on a national level. He cited last year’s Pride as being of particular significance in this regard, where hundreds of thousands of people showed Viktor Orbán that he has no power over them. At the end of the conversation, he promised that no matter what happens, there will be a Budapest Pride in 2026 as well.
He said that the Tisza Party had assured him that they would resolve the situation in the capital if they won the election. In his view, this is the key to their survival. He still considers the Budapest Act, which is part of the Tisza Party’s program, to be important, and said he had previously brought up similar ideas with Viktor Orbán. He would like to see this law enacted before the end of 2026 so that the city can move forward in 2027.
Karácsony’s relationship with the representatives of Tisza in the Budapest City Council has not been without conflict, but despite the differences the have had, he hopes that Tisza will become more involved in matters relating to Budapest should they win. “I don’t envision our future to be a bed of roses,” he said, but he claims that anything would be better than the current situation.