'Peace March' on Hungary's October 23 National Holiday to Start at Elvis Presley Square

  • 10 Oct 2025 6:03 AM
'Peace March' on Hungary's October 23 National Holiday to Start at Elvis Presley Square
Laszlo Csizmadia, president of the pro-government COF-COKA organisation, has said the Peace March to be held on Hungary's October 23 national holiday sent a clear message that the country "will not be a colony, and we will defend our sovereignty".

Csizmadia said marchers commemorating the 1956 Hungarian Revolution will assemble at Elvis Presley Square at 9am, and march to Kossuth Square via Margit Bridge, Nyugati Square, and Alkotmany Street.

He said the march aimed to "hold high the lantern of our Peace March to illuminate Europe" and honour the heroes and martyrs of 1956, "not carrying pistols but true hearts and souls".

Csizmadia and journalist Zsolt Bayer accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European People's Party head Manfred Weber of using the Russia-Ukraine war as a distraction from their own accountability, calling their actions a "witch hunt."

Bayer argued that the EU leadership was pushing Europe into war and economic ruin, ignoring the consequences of cutting off cheap Russian energy. He also drew a parallel between Hungary’s 1956 uprising against Soviet oppression and the current EU’s treatment of Hungary, calling it "intolerable".

Political scientist Tamas Fricz framed the 2026 election as a "fateful decision" for Hungary’s future, saying it would determine whether Hungary remained a sovereign nation or became a "subjugated colony of Brussels".

Fricz said Hungary wanted to stay in the EU but retain autonomy over key issues like the economy, tax policy, culture, and gender policies.

He warned that the opposition Tisza Party sought to impose Brussels' agenda on Hungary, making the Peace March crucial for mobilising support ahead of the election.

Andras Bencsik, editor-in-chief of the political weekly Demokrata, condemned the "army of hate" on social media, which he said had intimidated even left-wing figures into silence. He called for a "counter-army of love and unity" to preserve Hungary as the EU's "last stable, flawlessly functioning democracy".

COF-COKA spokesman Zoltan Lomnici Jr criticised the European Parliament for granting immunity to figures like Tisza Party leader Peter Magyar, Democratic Coalition leader Klara Dobrev and an "antifa criminal". "None of them will receive immunity from us," he added.

The march honours those who chose the side of the nation over communism in 1956, reinforcing the values of "Christian, national, and conservative Hungary", according to COF-COKA.

The organisers urged all Hungarians, including those from Transylvania, Vojvodina, southern Slovakia, and Carpathian Ruthenia, to join the march and demonstrate their commitment to Hungary's independence and traditional values.

MTI Stock Photo - for illustrative purposes only


Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

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