At the demonstration in support of a free press and a change in government, Gergely Karácsony, Dialogue’s co-leader, told the crowd that after the 2018 general election, the state founded by St. Stephen, which had been destroyed several times over the past 100 years, would have to be re-established.

He said the job of the state was to protect its citizens from power, workers from capital and the future from those who would compromise it. “This is the kind of state that must be built, and such a state’s place is in Europe,” he said.

Nóra Hajdu, the deputy head of the Együtt party, pledged to create a fairer and more honourable country if the party assumed power. She said Együtt was open to cooperating with new political forces “up until the last moment”.

Gábor Vágó, founder of the Hungarian Anti-Corruption Association, accused the current holders of power of rebuilding the party state, since it served their own interests rather than those of the people.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Kovács Attila