❗ Strong Budapest, strong Hungary!
The capital is our country’s most well-known and most visited tourist destination. 👉 This is where most businesses are based, where more than a third of the gross domestic product is generated, so it is a fundamental interest of the Hungarian government to further develop Budapest.
When Gergely Karácsony denies this, he is deliberately distorting reality. The mayor ignores the enormous amount of development—worth 3,000 billion forints—that has been carried out thanks to the government. ❌ In contrast, after six years as mayor, the only “achievement” he can point to is the constant shifting of responsibility.
Budapest is a sad example of what happens when the left comes to power. But you don’t have to be a Fidesz supporter to think this. Without a strong capital, there is no strong country. And this is not just talk.
So when a tourist comes here, where do they come? They come to Budapest, not to “Hungary.” Of course, we should also work on attracting visitors elsewhere, not only to Budapest—but let’s not deny that our main marketing product in the world, in tourism terms, is Budapest.
And let’s go through it point by point. When there is a major sporting event, it is usually held in Budapest. Where is the economic power? In Budapest. Most businesses are in Budapest. I’m only saying this because one has to be very sly—and I believe Gergely Karácsony is sly—when someone tries to deny the facts, reality itself, and pretend that the Hungarian government has no fundamental interest in developing this city, regardless of what we think about Karácsony’s performance.
And sorry, but I have to say it again: let’s look at the facts. Gergely Karácsony talks nonsense about how important this city is to him. And what has he done? What has he done in six years? His only achievement—if it can even be called that, and even then it’s a purely political one—is that he skillfully shifts responsibility.
But that doesn’t make me, as a citizen of Budapest, happy at all. A capital of this size, which in fact has constantly growing potential in the heart of Europe, which is safe and has all the necessary conditions, should not be treading water, dancing left and right for six years. It should be racing forward.
So let’s not call it an achievement that “oh, we were so clever, we didn’t go bankrupt.” Much more could be made of this city.
1️⃣ False equivalence: Budapest = government = country
Key lines from the speech:
- “Without a strong capital, there is no strong country.”
- “Budapest is our main marketing product.”
- “It is a fundamental interest of the government to develop the city.”
This suggests that:
- anyone who criticizes the government is acting against Budapest,
- anyone who raises Budapest’s problems is working against the country.
This is a false logical chain, but politically very effective.
2️⃣ Throwing around numbers without context (3,000 billion)
The claim of “3,000 billion forints in development” is a classic propaganda trick:
- no breakdown (what, when, whose decision),
- no time frame,
- no comparison with other capitals,
- no accountability.
The figure is an emotional weapon, not professional data.
3️⃣ Personal attacks → character assassination
In the case of Gergely Karácsony, what appears is not policy debate, but:
- calling him “sly,”
- saying he “talks nonsense,”
- claiming his “only achievement is shifting responsibility.”
👉 This is not criticism, but delegitimization.
The goal is not to argue with him, but to discredit him as a person.
4️⃣ “Not going bankrupt” as cynical distortion
This part is especially revealing:
- “Let’s not call it an achievement that we didn’t go bankrupt.”
What is happening here?
- the government takes away resources,
- then mocks the city for merely surviving.
This is a classic power technique:
- first, I restrict your room to maneuver,
- then I demand to know why you’re not soaring.
5️⃣ Playing the role of the “Budapest citizen”
Szentkirályi speaks as if:
- “I’m just a Budapest citizen, and this doesn’t make me happy.”
This is a pseudo-civilian position:
- she does not speak as a government representative,
- but as an “average citizen.”
Yet she is precisely the mouthpiece of the government’s narrative.
6️⃣ The final message (this is the essence)
If we condense it into one sentence:
“If Budapest does not develop visibly, it is the mayor’s fault — even if the government controls the money.”
This:
- prepares the ground for further attacks,
- justifies the withdrawal of funds,
- politically closes the debate.
Conclusion – why is this speech dangerous?
Because it:
- conflates the country with the government,
- dumps the city’s problems onto one individual,
- demands emotional loyalty instead of professional debate,
- cynically relativizes the government’s responsibility.
This is not about Budapest’s future — it is about who owns the narrative.