Orbán Viktor’s Tusványos address warns of authoritarian drift amid gold‑convoy probe

Former prime minister Orbán Viktor used his speech at the Tusványos festival in Transylvania to denounce the Tisza‑led government as an “authoritarian, self‑rule” regime, likening Hungary to “the new Venezuela” and invoking Hitler and neocommunism. He said he would not take up his parliamentary mandate, arguing that the chamber no longer allows meaningful debate.

At the same event, lawyer Lóránt Horváth claimed the investigation into the Ukrainian gold‑convoy scandal led to the resignation of chief prosecutor Gábor Bálint Nagy and could ultimately implicate Orbán himself. Horváth said the case was mishandled, citing the cutting off of investigative chains and the limited treatment of suspect János Hajdu, arguing that a full‑scale inquiry could have criminal significance for the former premier.

The speeches sparked internal criticism within Fidesz, with members such as L. Simon László and Németh Zsolt describing the party’s recent tactics as “servilism” and warning of possible splits, while other officials defended the party’s direction. The combined political rhetoric and legal controversy highlight a deepening crisis in Hungary’s ruling circle.