Fidesz has announced that former president János Áder will speak at its 23 October commemoration of the 1956 Revolution in Budapest, alongside historian Mária Schmidt and parliamentary group leader János Bóka. Viktor Orbán is conspicuously absent from the announced line-up, raising questions about whether the former prime minister will address supporters at all.
Fidesz will hold its commemorative event at Bem Square in Budapest on 23 October, marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. However, the list of speakers announced by the party does not include Viktor Orbán, leaving uncertainty over whether he will appear at one of the most significant dates on the political calendar.
According to a statement from Bertalan Havasi, Fidesz’s press chief, the speakers will include former Hungarian president János Áder, historian Mária Schmidt and János Bóka, the party’s parliamentary group leader.
Hungarian news outlet Telex reported that it had contacted Havasi to ask whether Orbán would speak at the event or attend as a member of the audience. No answer was included in the report.
Áder steps into the spotlight as Orbán’s role remains unclear
Áder’s prominent role is notable given that Fidesz previously turned to the former president for a public appearance at its July demonstration in Buda Castle, titled Stop Arbitrary Rule (“Stop Önkény”). Orbán had encouraged supporters to attend that protest through social media posts but did not appear in person. Afterwards, he thanked those who had taken part and shared a photograph that had also been posted by Gergely Gulyás.
Last year, Orbán delivered a speech in front of Parliament on Kossuth Square following the Peace March. This year, however, the party’s announced programme offers no confirmation that he will take the stage on 23 October. The absence of his name from the speaker list does not necessarily mean Orbán will stay away altogether. Whether he will attend, and in what capacity, remains unclear.
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Peace March cancelled, replaced by a giant flag procession
Another major change to this year’s commemorations is the cancellation of the traditional Peace March, which has featured prominently at Fidesz-linked national events in previous years. The Civil Union Forum (CÖF), which previously organised the march, announced in September that it would not go ahead this year.
Instead, the 56 Lángja Public Benefit Foundation is organising a procession called The Nation’s Flag. Its centrepiece will be a Hungarian national flag measuring 1,848 metres in length, a reference to the year of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.
The procession is planned to follow the Buda riverbank, passing locations associated with the 1956 Revolution. A large Szekler flag is also expected to join the procession during its final section.
The foundation has described the event as an opportunity for a large-scale and uplifting commemoration, while acknowledging that the cancellation of the Peace March may leave some regular participants feeling that something is missing.
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A (not-so-new) slogan that signals the event’s political message
The procession’s announced motto is: “No war, no gender, no migration – God, homeland, family.”
The organiser, Ákos Szilágyi, has become known in recent years for wearing striking T-shirts featuring Viktor Orbán at pro-Fidesz events.
With the Peace March replaced by a flag procession and Áder announced as a speaker, this year’s 23 October programme will look different from previous years. Whether Orbán himself will appear is one of the key unanswered questions ahead of the commemoration.