More recently, the US Embassy in Budapest has launched a billboard campaign, taking a position contrary to the Hungarian government's pro-peace stance, which calls for an immediate ceasefire. The unprecedented political campaign, ordered and financed by a foreign country, was immediately embraced by the so-called Dollar Left. The president of the opposition Jobbik party and other key politicians have set the slogan "Russians go home!" (Ruszkik haza!) to appear as a background wallpaper on their social media.
It is worth remembering what Peter Marki-Zay - the left wing's former former prime ministerial candidate and chairman of the Everyone’s Hungary Movement (MMM) - told the Partizan Youtube channel on February 13 this year, in an interview:
We would be very happy to help with whatever means the NATO alliance system will allow. Obviously, if Hungary, let’s be frank... was not an agent of Putin, then it would be natural that the county, as a member of NATO, would try and give every assistance to Ukraine that NATO decides to offer. […] If NATO so decides, then even military help.
In an interview with the German daily Tagesspiegel, the failed leftist prime ministerial candidate opined:
Of course Hungary, as a member of NATO and the EU, must join any sanctions against Russia. This is a matter of principle, even if it hurts us economically. I would also support the weapon deliveries, if NATO and the EU decided to do so. We would always follow the joint, common decisions.
On 28 February 2022, Ferenc Gyurcsany, president of the Democratic Coalition (DK) party, wrote on Facebook:
For example, he (PM Viktor Orban - ed.) justified the impossibility of weapon deliveries by saying that 'those weapons might be used to shoot at Hungarian people, since there are Hungarians living in Transcarpathia.' Poor Orban, he misunderstood the situation, he thought that those weapons should be given to the Russians. No, not to them. The EU is giving them to the Ukrainian people, who are defending their homeland and who include many nationalities, Hungarians among them.
Andras Fekete-Gyor, the former chairman of the opposition Momentum party, now an MP, wrote in an article published on February 1 2022, that
First, similar to our allies, we must offer weapons and humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian government to help protect the Hungarian minorities in Transcarpathia.
Independent Hungarian MP Akos Hadhazy took to Facebook on February 28 2022, to say that
I am deeply ashamed of [Hungarian FM] Szijjarto, and my shame is only deepened by the fact that we are licking the Russians’ boots by not letting the weapons meant to support Ukraine’s patriotic war transit through Hungary. If anyone, Hungarians have known since 1956 what it's like when 'pragmatic and wise' leaders throw a country to the Russians and offer no 'help' other than words of sympathy.
The above statements and articles evidently highlight that the Dollar Left has been echoing the position of the EU and the US - that's led to the escalation of the war - from the very beginning. The outcome of the general elections held on April 3, however, proved even more clearly that the vast majority of Hungarians support the pro-peace stance of the ruling Fidesz-Christain Democratic (KDNP) party alliance.
Cover photo: Daniel Berg (Photo: MTI / Balazs Mohai)
