A crowd of tens of thousands gathered in Hungary's capital on Saturday in a show of strength behind Prime Minister Viktor Orban a week before the European Parliament election, a contest he has cast as an existential turning point between peace in Europe and a world war. The demonstration, dubbed by organizers a "peace march," brought Orban's supporters from all over Hungary and neighboring countries, the AP reports. They marched along the Danube River in Budapest from the city's iconic Chain Bridge onto Margaret Island, waving flags and signs reading "No War."
Orban, whose 14 years in power make him the European Union's longest-serving leader, has focused his campaign for the June 9 ballot on the war in Ukraine, portraying his domestic and international opponents as warmongers who seek to involve Hungary directly in the conflict. Critics say his appeals for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine would allow Russia to retain territories it has occupied and embolden it further. On Saturday, he told supporters that it was time for his party to "occupy Brussels"—the EU's de facto capital—and transform the continent's approach to support for Ukraine as it fends off Russia's invasion.
"We can only stay out of the war if Hungarian voters support the government," Orban said in a speech on Margaret Island. "We must win the European elections in such a way that the Brussels bureaucrats in their fear will open the doors of the city to us and leave their offices in a hurry." Orban and his Fidesz party have built a reputation as being among the friendliest in the EU to Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. In his speech, Orban said that a Donald Trump victory in November would lead to he and the US administration forming a "transatlantic peace coalition" that could bring an end to the fighting in Ukraine.
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