PM Office Chief: Opposition Is in Deepest Moral Crisis Only 18 Months Before Elections

Minister Gergely Gulyas considers Peter Magyar a traitor.

Gergely Gulyas, Minister in charge of the Hungarian Prime Minister's Office (Photo: MTI/Istvan Filep)

"The opposition is currently in the deepest moral crisis 18 months before the elections," the minister heading the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office said in an interview with ATV.

Gergely Gulyas also stated that Minister Antal Rogan would no longer be on the US sanctions list by the end of the year, adding that even US  communications could not deny that the decision against the head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office was purely political.

"The Americans themselves acknowledged that there is no intelligence information behind the decision, only George Soros and his various NGOs' corrupt reports, which cannot be considered legal sources or even proven facts. This is a political witch hunt, a petty act of revenge by the outgoing US ambassador," 

declared Gulyas. He also noted that with Donald Trump referring to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban over 100 times during the campaign, it is obvious that Hungary’s prime minister, government, and Hungary itself do not stand a chance in enjoying popularity among Democrats. Unfortunately, the Democrats sent an ambassador to Hungary who hates the government and the host country. Therefore, when it comes to bringing sanctions against Hungarians, he can easily claim success in his own Democratic circles," the minister explained.

He stressed that there is no democratic deficit in Hungary and rejected claims that the Hungarian government is excessively aligned with Moscow or Beijing. He pointed out that the incoming US administration itself is organizing a Trump–Putin meeting. "I wouldn't accuse the Americans of cozying up to Moscow because of that. The German chancellor recently had a lengthy phone conversation with Russian President Putin, yet that doesn’t make Germany an ally of Russia. Such statements should be used cautiously."

"Hungary pursues a policy based on national interests and does not aim to please anyone, not the outgoing US administration nor the incoming one," 

Gulyas emphasized.

He described the sanctions against Antal Rogan as a short-lived measure that serve as a symbol of the departing Democratic administration’s petty hostility toward Hungary. The government politician also said that the removal from the list will not be a presidential decision, as it was a Treasury Department decision, and the law regulating the procedure itself stipulates that the banned party has to prove the unfoundedness of the decision and not the banning party that has to prove the justification for the listing.He expressed confidence that "the minister would be removed from the sanctions list relatively quickly, in light of the utter lack of evidence and the obvious motivations behind the sanctions" and that he would be surprised if there weren't a swift resolution.

On the topic of potential elections or government reshuffles, Gulyas underlined that:

"There will be no early elections and no government reshuffles until the 2026 elections."

The only question is whether Tamas Sulyok's presidential mandate will be for five or for ten years, as the president can serve a total of two terms.

Commenting on the opposition Tisza Party's rankings in opinion polls, he stated,

We couldn’t be in a more favorable position, namely that the opposition is in its deepest moral crisis only 18 months before the elections, with the leader of the strongest opposition party behaving like a lunatic.

"While electoral victory is contingent on government performance, I believe the current situation is advantageous for the governing party. According to reliable polls—not those tailored to meet political demands—Fidesz maintains a significant lead," he pointed out, also adding that the Tisza Party is not just an assurance of victory for Fidesz in 2026, but also suggests a strong position in 2030. "This is my honest opinion. We had a by-election this past Sunday, a national election last June, and polls all indicating the same result."

On the Tisza Party chief, the minister commented that Peter Magyar switched sides [from Fidesz] purely for financial reasons. He claimed that Magyar had no issues with Fidesz while he could earn significant sums with minimal effort but began threatening the party when that changed. When the reporter asked if they would ever talk again, Gulyas firmly stated: "that's out of the question."  

I consider Magyar a traitor. Not all traitors are Brussels agents, but all Brussels agents are traitors. Peter Magyar falls into the latter category."

He added that the lesson of the presidential pardon demonstrate how critical it is for public figures to remain vigilant at all times, as one wrong decision can severely damage a promising political career. At the time of her resignation Katalin Novak told him she believed the individual in question was innocent. "She had misjudged both the case and the message of her decision which led her to admit her error and resign."

When asked why Viktor Orban would not be attending Donald Trump’s inauguration, Gulyas replied that Hungary would be represented by Ambassador Szabolcs Takacs, in line with diplomatic protocol. He remarked that Orban has been Trump’s ally long enough to not need to jostle among thousands of attendees to demonstrate his relevance or close ties to the new president.

"There will without a doubt be a Trump–Orban meeting in the foreseeable future."

Regarding EU funds, Gulyas stated that Hungary is among the best in terms of utilized resources. He explained that the funding process is straightforward: Hungary pre-finances projects, sends invoices to Brussels, and receives payment. "There’s no need for concern in this department; we have plenty of available funds, and our goal is to obtain the resources that are not yet accessible," he concluded.

Cover photo: Gergely Gulyas, Minister in charge of the Hungarian Prime Minister's Office (Photo: MTI/Istvan Filep)