Peter Magyar’s Own Supporters Are Losing Trust in Him

Disillusioned activists who spoke with Magyar Nemzet say they’re beginning to lose confidence in Peter Magyar. What troubles most of them is not that the Tisza Party occasionally makes mistakes — but the party leadership’s communication, which they increasingly see as evasive, inconsistent, and at times simply not honest. In our investigative report, based on interviews with numerous activists, we examined the mood inside the Tisza Party today.

Peter Magyar, chairman of the Tisza Party (Photo: Balazs Hatlaczki)

A serious crisis of confidence is taking shape among the Tisza Party’s followers — this is the picture that emerged from background conversations we’ve held in recent weeks with numerous Peter Magyar supporters. Those we spoke with said they trust the party chairman far less now than they once did, after watching him fail to live up to several of his own commitments. Our sources ranged from ordinary Tisza sympathizers who downloaded the “Tisza Vilag” app to Tisza Sziget (local Tisza support groups) members, and party activists — including some currently employed by the party and working at its Lajos Street headquarters.

Peter Magyar has every reason to be rubbing his head, as even Tisza Party activists are becoming increasingly disappointed.

According to the picture drawn by our interviewees, doubt within Peter Magyar’s base is steadily growing — primarily because the party chairman’s credibility has considerably erroded in recent weeks.

Early Disappointments Were Tolerated

Every source told us they were not upset when Peter Magyar eventually decided to become a politician, even though back in early 2024, during his Partizan interview, he dismissed the idea by saying: “That would be ridiculous, even as a joke.”

At the time, he likely had no idea himself what kind of avalanche that interview would trigger,

one Tisza activist said, adding he also didn’t find fault with Magyar taking his European Parliamentary seat despite previously telling Telex: “There’s no way I’ll sit in the European Parliament.”

What is embarrassing,” said one of our interviewees, “is when a Fidesz acquaintance grins at me and asks what I think about Peter Magyar being the laziest MEP in Brussels. What am I supposed to say to that? Peter promised at the beginning that he would take the job seriously,

 the Tisza activist complained. Indeed, after taking his mandate, Magyar declared: “Tisza’s representatives will work — unlike the practice so far.” In July 2024 he even added: “There’s a big difference between working 24 hours a day or spending your time playing tennis in Brussels, or wandering in and out of clubs and bars. I could name examples. I will not spend my time that way.”

Another supporter told us their first disappointment came when the “Ludas Matyi” charity initiative — which Peter Magyar promised would allow followers to vote monthly on which charity the Tisza MEPs would support using a portion of their own salaries — simply petered out. “I couldn’t believe a politician would be that selfless,” said one long-time activist still helping the Tisza Party. 

I'm sorry to say, after maybe two such votes, we never heard about the charitable donations again.

Activists Fed Up With Constantly Shifting Communication

One Tisza Sziget member told us the party headquarters simply assumes volunteers will do everything for free — even funding some activities out of their own pocket — while leadership rarely responds meaningfully to their proposals. “I can’t even count how many hours I’ve worked booths or handed out flyers. Now they send us to remote villages without a second thought,” said a Budapest-based activist, adding:

Peter said at the March 15 rally that Tisza would not operate through top-down control, but by listening to the people.

And indeed, during that spring rally on the national holiday, Magyar declared: “This is how we will govern — not ruling, not dictating from above, but finally together, representing every Hungarian.”

Another long-time Tisza Sziget member said they can’t understand why the opportunity for party membership still hasn’t been opened. “We were told that Tisza Sziget membership and the ‘regime changing’ support card would give us preference. Then we had to download the Tisza Vilag app. Now they say everyone will vote on the candidates. What guarantee do we have that, for instance, Fidesz supporters won’t troll and sabotage the primaries?”

Back in January, Peter Magyar said that party chapters would be created within months, and that Tisza Sziget membership plus the “regime changing” card would be required for full party membership. At that time he claimed these chapters would choose the individual candidates.

Supporters Left Having to “Explain Away” Chairman’s Missteps

Nearly everyone we spoke to mentioned the embarrassment surrounding candidate selection. Most mentioned that Peter Magyar had promised to present the choice of candidates by September 30 — yet nothing has happened, and the start of the primaries has been repeatedly delayed.

I hope something really happens on November 17 [the latest date he has given], because this is becoming impossible to take seriously,” one activist said. “I try to reassure friends who keep inquiring, but honestly, I can’t understand it either,

said a party activist, who reported that it is becoming increasingly difficult to explain to those inquiring at the stands why Peter Magyar does not tell the truth about certain issues. 

One activist described another awkward moment: “Someone asked why Peter had lied about being hit with a full can of beer when government media clearly showed it was a bag of sunflower seeds. I didn’t believe it until they played the slowed video. How am I, an activist, supposed to respond? What can I say?” the activist said rhetorically, adding that the party chairman should be more mindful of what he says publicly and what he posts on Facebook.

Peter Magyar pushes everyone into the background, caring only about himself (Photo: Krisztian Mate)

The Data Leak Scandal Is the Last Straw

Naturally, what's foremost now on the minds of most Tisza supporters we talked to is the recent massive personal data leak from the Tisza Vilag app — and how the party handled it. “It’s outrageous someone stole our data. I hope they find the culprit and punish them to the full extent of the law,” said one disillusioned supporter whose information is now out online. “What I don’t understand is how it could happen. We were all told the app was safe. It's more than unpleasant when a propagandist for the other side calls you on your personal phone number and asks what you think about your data being leaked," he said.

Meanwhile, the Tisza Party’s website still claims the app offers a “simple, safe, and transparent” way to organize. Followers genuinely believed their information was secure — making the data breach a cold shock. One offered a blunt view: 

What's happening regarding that app is total chaos. First we were told it was an infiltrator leaking the data. Now Peter is talking about a Russian hacker attack. What I don’t get is why we weren’t warned back in September, when they supposedly caught an infiltrator with access to our data. My right-wing coworkers have been laughing for days after finding my personal details online,

our interviewee, whose personal information was leaked back in early October, complained about the changing explanations of the Tisza Party. 

One thing is certain: Peter Magyar's credibility has eroded in recent months, even among his own followers, another source — who is on the party's payroll and sees the internal aspects of the campaign — confirmed, sounding a warning: “Something has to be done. Our activists are exhausted, and it’s getting harder to keep them motivated. The brunt of the campaign work is yet to come, and there will be no chance of changing the government if our supporters’ enthusiasm collapses.”