34th Balvanyos Summer Open University Kicks Off – Viktor Orban to Deliver Speech Again This Year

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will give a speech at the 34th Balvanyos Summer Open University in Baile Tusnad, Transylvania, on Saturday. The week-long event, ending on Sunday, will focus heavily on national policy, but economic topics will also take prominence.

Hungarian Prime Minister’s Press Office/Zoltan Fischer

Under the slogan "You Can Count on Us!", the 34th Balvanyos Summer Open University and Student Camp begins on Tuesday in Baile Tusnad (Tusnadfurdo), Transylvania. The series of events, commonly known as Tusvanyos, is organized by the Budapest-based Pro Minoritate Foundation and the Transylvanian Hungarian Youth Council (MIT), and runs through Sunday morning.

Amid war and economic uncertainties, the organizers have chosen a reassuring message for those who return to Tusvanyos year after year seeking answers, planning for the future, or simply enjoying the unique atmosphere,

said Krisztina Sandor, the director of political programming. "This year’s topics will include panel discussions on the Ukraine-Russia war, the Israel-Iran conflict, and the recent elections in Romania, featuring both politicians and analysts. For the Szeklerland region specifically, a highlighted topic will be the causes and consequences of the recent disaster in Prajd (Parajd) and its long-term impact on tourism in the area, she said.

Topics Tusvanyos traditionally focuses on are not missing from the offer this year either, among which

national policy is gaining more prominence at the open university each year.

Schemes launched by the secretariat for national policy in support of Hungarian communities outside Hungary's borders will be presented, and a national policy roundtable will be held on Friday morning, featuring leaders of Hungarian political parties from countries neighboring Hungary who will report on the sitaution of their communities.

Krisztna Sandor added that economic topics have traditionally had a strong presence at Tusvanyos. Alongside political decision-makers, many leaders from Hungary’s business and banking sectors will participate. Key agenda items include energy security and the economic and financial challenges caused by the war.

Topics will range from local Romanian-Hungarian issues to Hungarian national matters, broader Carpathian Basin politics, EU policies, and even global shifts in power dynamics on the threshold of a change in the world order. Tusvanyos allows for more open and outspoken dialogue, including debates, than the tone taken in Bucharest, Budapest, or Brussels,

the director for political programing said. She recalled that while the open university was originally established in the 1990s as a forum for Romanian-Hungarian dialogue, Romanian political figures no longer attend, fearing backlash from their voter base. However, Tusvanyos remains open to dialogue and differing opinions, even if the majority of attendees share similar political values. As an example, she cited the traditional debate forum of Hungarian parliamentary group leaders.

Photo: Janos B. Kocsis

She emphasized

the high anticipation surrounding Viktor Orban’s speech on Saturday, which often shapes political discourse for weeks or months, not just in Transylvania or Hungary, but even in Brussels and beyond.

In recent years, the Hungarian prime minister's speech has focused less on national policy and more on global developments, providing an outlook on major processes that are taking place around us, offering analysis, explanations, and possible plans and outlining the room for maneuver in the near future, primarily for the Hungarian government, but also for the Hungarian communities in the Carpathian Basin.

Orban’s address will be preceded by a speech from Laszlo Tokes, president of the Hungarian National Council of Transylvania (EMNT), and moderated by Zsolt Nemeth, founder of Tusvanyos and chair of the Hungarian parliament’s foreign affairs committee. Registration is required on the event website (Tusvanyos.ro) by midnight on July 24 to attend.

Other speakers include Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen and several ministers and state secretaries from the Hungarian government.

From the ranks of Transylvanian politicians, attendees will include Hunor Kelemen, president of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), Barna Tanczos, Romania’s deputy prime minister, and Attila Cseke, minister of development. Zsolt Nemeth has also invited the Tisza Party, represented by MEP Zoltan Tarr.

While media attention mainly focuses on political statements, Tusvanyos is both an open university and a festival. Beyond programs focusing on politics and public life, it features concerts, theater tents, sports areas, and a wide array of folk music and dance events, the organizer pointed out. Due to the growing number of programs, every square meter of the campground between the Olt River and the surrounding forest is in use. 

Attendees are asked not to approach the camp by car, but to leave their vehicles in the settlement and walk down to the campsite.

A new requirement this year is that all participants must register in advance at Tusvanyos.ro. Entry is free before 4 p.m., while those arriving primarily for evening parties can purchase a one-time entry wristband for 40 lei (approx. 3,150 forints) or a weekly pass for 150 lei. This year’s Tusvanyos features 40 event locations organized with 71 partner organizations. With nearly 1,000 speakers and over 500 programs, participants can find full schedules on the event website or the Tusvanyos mobile app. Although the official opening is on Wednesday morning, 

the concerts begin on Tuesday (Day 0) with performances by Hooligans and Tankcsapda on the main stage. 

Groups appearing on the festival's main stage: Magna Cum Laude and Neoton Familia on Wednesday, Margaret Island and Punnany Massif on Thursday, Intim Torna Illegal and Republic on Friday, Don’t Stop The Queen és Magda Ruzsa Magda on Saturday, closing the lineup for the 34th  Tusvanyos.