Hungary’s 23 October Celebrations: A Programme Guide
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is set to give a speech on October 23rd, Hungary’s national holiday, in the Millenáris Park in Budapest. This speech is in commemoration of the 68th anniversary of the 1956 revolution and freedom fight against communist rule, as announced by the Government Information Centre (KTK) on Wednesday.
The official celebrations will kick off on October 22nd, with dignitaries laying wreaths at the memorial at the Budapest Technical and Economics University at 2pm. Following this, Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, will deliver a speech at 3pm. Later in the day, a torch-lit march of 2,500 students will take place to Bem Square, where Speaker of Parliament László Kövér will also give a speech, according to the statement.
Interestingly, PM Orbán’s biggest political adversary, Péter Magyar, will celebrate October 23rd in Bem Square as well. After the celebrations, he and his supporters will march to Széna Square, a symbolic location of the 1956 revolution and freedom fight where Hungarian freedom fighters resisted the Soviet invasion. Recently, an interview with Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political director, caused a public outcry due to his remarks suggesting that Hungary would not have defended itself in case of a Russian invasion.
Despite Orbán distancing himself from his political director’s comments, the incident did not seem to have any impact on Orbán’s career or position of power in the Orbán regime.
On October 23rd, the national flag will be hoisted at Kossuth Square in front of Parliament at 9am. President Tamás Sulyok will deliver a speech at a gala at the Palace of Arts (Müpa) at 6pm. The day will also see Parliament and the House of Terror Museum open to the public free of charge, with commemorations being held at various locations throughout the city.
As Hungary prepares to commemorate this significant day in its history, the political landscape continues to be fraught with tension and controversy. It remains to be seen how these events will shape the country’s future direction.
