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Thousands of people are set to gather in Budapest to demand the resignation of a senior Hungarian politician, for making a racist remark against Roma people earlier this month.<\/p>\n
J\u00e1nos L\u00e1z\u00e1r told attendees at a political forum that migration was not the solution to the country\u2019s labour shortage. \u201cSince there are no migrants, and someone has to clean the bathrooms on the InterCity trains,\u201d L\u00e1z\u00e1r said Roma people would do the job, using an offensive slur in his speech.<\/p>\n
The remarks, captured on video, quickly spread online and triggered a widespread backlash. Hungarian Roma organisations, NGOs and opposition politicians demanded that L\u00e1z\u00e1r, a high-ranking ally of the rightwing populist prime minister, Viktor Orb\u00e1n<\/a>, apologise and resign. \u201cHe has crossed all boundaries,\u201d said P\u00e9ter Magyar, the leader of the largest opposition party, Tisza.<\/p>\n The scandal comes 10 weeks before an election that could cement or break the rule of Orb\u00e1n\u2019s Fidesz party, which came to power for the second time in 2010.<\/p>\n \u201cFidesz is over, its mandate has expired permanently,\u201d said \u00c1d\u00e1m Lakatos, an 18-year-old Roma activist and the organiser of Saturday\u2019s protest.<\/p>\n Independent polls show a stable lead for Tisza \u2013 a centre-right party founded in 2020 \u2013 ahead of Fidesz. Outrage over L\u00e1z\u00e1r\u2019s racist remarks could further alienate undecided voters from the governing party.<\/p>\n L\u00e1z\u00e1r has apologised, but refused to resign, and has recently appeared alongside Orb\u00e1n at a party event. He didn\u2019t respond to the Guardian\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n Roma communities, who have long been scapegoated by the government, experience worse living conditions, higher levels of poverty, and face lower life expectancy than the rest of the Hungarian population.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring its 16 years of rule, Fidesz has not created jobs, or supported [Roma] families,\u201d said Szandi Minz\u00e1ri, a 37-year-old international policy expert with Roma heritage. Roma people are overrepresented in low-paying public jobs, which she said can be exploited by local politicians. Independent organisations<\/a> have raised concerns that these public work programs are being leveraged by officials for electoral gain.<\/p>\n \u201cL\u00e1z\u00e1r\u2019s resignation would be a positive move for Fidesz, helping recover some Roma support, and setting an example\u201d said Bernadett Orb\u00e1n (no relation to the PM), a 33-year-old activist. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think he will resign.\u201d<\/p>\n Orb\u00e1n, and her partner, Tam\u00e1s K\u00f6nyves, are not Roma, but will attend the protest on Saturday. \u201cI feel it is my duty to speak up and stand up for the Roma community,\u201d said K\u00f6nyves, 51, who will give a speech at the event.<\/p>\n Fidesz has faced increasing public anger in recent years. In 2024, the party president, Katalin Nov\u00e1k, resigned after mass demonstrations erupted over a decision to pardon a man convicted for covering up child sexual abuse claims at a state-run orphanage.<\/p>\n There were also protests in 2025 after news of systemic abuse at a juvenile correctional centre. The opposition demanded resignations in Orb\u00e1n\u2019s government over inaction.<\/p>\n