The Weight of Words – Key Takeaways from Kinga Kollar’s Scandalous Speech + Video

"Treasonous", “Oszod speech”, "infuriating" – these are just a few of the labels being attached to the speech delivered this week by Kinga Kollar, MEP of the Tisza Party, which has caused an uproar in Hungarian public life. Her words triggered backlash from both sides of the political spectrum — even Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressed the issue. The outrage has reached the point that right-wing forces are organizing a protest this afternoon, where Gergely Gulyas, Minister heading the Prime Minister's Office is also set to speak. But what exactly did Kinga Kollar say that is being compared to ex-Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany’s infamous “Oszod speech”? Here’s everything you need to know about the controversy.

Borítókép: Kollár Kinga és Magyar Péter (Forrás: Facebook)

“The question is, what is politics for? To find good solutions for the country. Yet, from what we see in the Tisza Party, it doesn't bother them if something is bad for the country, as long as it is good for them. Power matters more to them than the country's interests. That’s clearly evident from the recording of the speech,” Gulyas said, commenting:

"The only reason I wouldn’t necessarily call it treason is because there’s no indication that Hungary is even the MEP's homeland.”

He continued that in any normal party, a politician making such statements would have been dismissed long ago — but the problem is, the Tisza Party agrees with her view.

Viktor Orban: “They Should Exit Public Life”

Even Prime Minister Viktor Orban weighed in on the matter. On social media, he dedicated a post to the Tisza Party politician, writing:

Those working against Hungarians in Brussels should be excluded from Hungarian public life!”

In his weekly Friday morning Kossuth Radio inteview, PM Orban elaborated: “The Tisza Party members are not only not ashamed of working against their own country — they’re proud of it. That’s their goal, and they’re happy if things go badly in Hungary, because they say it benefits the opposition,” and helps them to power. 

The prime minister stressed that politics is not about power but about the country - serving the country and the people of Hungary. “Someone who would do anything for power and money can never be trusted,” he stressed.

Protest Against the Tisza Party

Public sentiment has grown so heated against the Tisza Party that Magyar Nemzet columnist Zsolt Bayer, on behalf of civil organizations COF-COKA, announced a protest:

Today, Saturday, at 3pm at the corner of Lovohaz Street and Millenaris, in Buda,

in front of the European Commission’s representation in Hungary. Last summer there was also a demonstration here to protest the European Court's excessively harsh ruling penalizing Hungary.

Speakers will include: Bence Apati, Zsolt Bayer, Gergely Gulyas (Minister heading the Prime Minister's Office)

Laszlo Csizmadia, President of COF-COKA, stated that the Civil Union Forum encourages all patriots to consider declaring any public figure who incites against Hungary — like MEP Kinga Kollar — a persona non grata. The event's slogan:

"Our homeland is not for sale — enough, profiteers!”

 

Kinga Kollar: Hungarians Are a Brainwashed People

Though Kinga Kollar has given few interviews since being elected MEP in June last year, she previously managed to offend many when she claimed that Hungarians are a brainwashed people, Mandiner reported. On her Facebook page last May, she responded to a comment saying:

“Unfortunately, until the education system changes, we’ll remain just as brainwashed a nation as the Russians. I am, however, very grateful to the Ukrainians and the Americans for stopping the Russians, otherwise they could have easily marched into Hungary. Because the Hungarian military wouldn’t have been able to hold them back.”

Cover photo: Tisza Party MEP Kinga Kollar and party chief and MEP Peter Magyar (Soure: Facebook)