Former Budapest mayor István Tarlós has made unusually sharp remarks about Viktor Orbán’s responsibility for corruption under Fidesz. However, the veteran politician was far from complimentary about Péter Magyar’s Tisza government either.
Former Budapest mayor István Tarlós has spoken openly about corruption allegations surrounding the former Fidesz government, acknowledging that a small group of people accumulated disproportionate wealth during Viktor Orbán’s time in power. In a wide-ranging interview with Hungarian news portal 24.hu, he also criticised the new Tisza government and reflected on the reasons behind Fidesz’s defeat in April’s parliamentary election.
Tarlós questions Orbán’s responsibility for corruption
István Tarlós, who served as Budapest’s mayor between 2010 and 2019 with the backing of Orbán’s Fidesz party and was a long-standing political ally of the former prime minister, acknowledged that a relatively small group of individuals became disproportionately wealthy under Fidesz, some of whom had close ties to Orbán.
He argued that Orbán bore political responsibility for these developments, although the extent of his legal responsibility remained unclear. Tarlós also admitted that he could not determine how widespread corruption had been during the Fidesz governments.
The former mayor also pointed to growing public dissatisfaction with Fidesz and Orbán, acknowledging that some of the criticism directed at them was justified.
“Fidesz was characterised by excessive self-confidence in almost every area, which ultimately backfired,” Tarlós said.
He also criticised the party’s internal culture, arguing that “servility sometimes took precedence over professionalism”.
Despite his criticism, Tarlós defended aspects of Orbán’s political legacy, arguing that the former government had left behind a functioning and organised state. However, he expressed doubts about Orbán’s chances of returning to power, suggesting that such a comeback currently appeared unlikely.
Péter Magyar’s government also faces criticism
The former mayor was equally outspoken about Hungary’s new government, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose Tisza Party defeated Fidesz in the April election.
Tarlós suggested that Magyar was still operating in campaign mode, attempting to maintain the protest sentiment that had helped his party secure victory rather than placing sufficient emphasis on the practical challenges of governing.
He was particularly critical of the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, an institution established under the new administration to recover assets allegedly acquired through corruption.
According to Tarlós, the office’s extensive powers and political oversight raise serious concerns about the rule of law. He questioned the way arrests and investigations were being presented to the public, arguing that some individuals were effectively being declared guilty before investigations had concluded.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that it was still too early to judge the Tisza government as a whole, noting that he barely knew most of its ministers and had met Magyar only on a few occasions.
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Difficult decisions ahead for the new government
Tarlós welcomed the government’s decision to reduce spending on political propaganda but argued that this alone would not be enough to address Hungary’s wider challenges.
He also warned that recovering allegedly misappropriated public funds could involve lengthy legal proceedings, potentially taking years before any money returned to the state budget.
Turning to Hungary’s relationship with the European Union, the former mayor suggested that the new administration would face difficult choices. He argued that concessions to Brussels on issues such as migration, the war in Ukraine and LGBTQ-related policies could undermine Tisza’s domestic support, while renewed confrontation with the EU could trigger negative reactions from investors.
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