Ahead of an opposition protest against "arbitrariness" in front of the president's office in Budapest, Magyar asked on social media whether it was acceptable for taxpayers to fund a former president and his family’s expensive tickets to Disneyland in America.

"Before the former president sets off today to tremble for democracy and the rule of law, it would be good if he answered the following questions for Hungarians: what results did his family’s 2018 trip to the USA, costing 55 million forints of taxpayers’ money, bring to Hungary?

Was he really celebrating one of his daughters’ birthdays with a two-day trip to New York, including a helicopter tour of the city, at taxpayers’ expense? Did Hungarian people really pay for the hundreds of thousands of forints worth of tickets to the amusement park [Disneyland]?

Was the 1.3 million forint presidential suite in Miami, booked with public money, not sufficient, and did President Ader instruct that another one be booked for 1 million forints near Disneyland in Orlando? How many such trips did the president take? How many foreign fishing trips were paid for by Hungarian taxpayers?" Magyar said.

The prime minister called on Ader to face the Hungarian public and explain "how many of his private programmes were paid for [by public monies], alongside the two-billion-forint villa and the ten-billion-forint foundation that squandered public money", and to specify "when he plans to repay these amounts to the state treasury."

Ader said in response that Magyar was "lying", adding that the journey in Oct 2018 was an official visit rather than a family trip.

In a statement, Ader denied Magyar’s claims that taxpayers funded his daughter’s travel expenses or his foreign fishing trips, insisting the journey had been paid for privately and that no such fishing trips had occurred.

Ader challenged Magyar to "be brave" and present his accusations as statements, accepting all legal consequences.

Magyar responded by saying Ader "has not denied anything, neither the two-billion luxury villa, nor the ten-billion foundation, the sightseeings on taxpayer money, or the amusement park."

"Peter Magyar can only top his lies with further lies," Ader said.

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

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