Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, member of the opposition Tisza Party and former Chief of Hungarian Defense Staff, admitted to bringing a firearm to a forum in Szeghalom, Hungary.
The move sparked nationwide outrage. In a Facebook post, he claimed that threats had prompted him to carry the weapon for self-protection:
I am a soldier. I am willing to die for my country.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán strongly condemned the act, calling the Tisza Party’s behavior “dangerous and irresponsible.”
He claimed
A pistol has no place in a democratic debate. Nor does the person who brought it there! Hungary is one of the safest countries in Europe. Not by accident. We have put a lot of work into breaking organized crime, and illegal migration did not break us either. Hungary is an island of peace and security.
Orbán further criticized the politician, saying “Compared to this, a soldier, a former Chief of Defense Staff, stands before his prospective voters with a pistol in his pocket. What’s more, he boasts that his palm itches—and since he is trained, he could take anyone down. Shame and disgrace!”
The Prime Minister stressed that weapons have no place in Hungarian public life, emphasizing that the Tisza Party was playing a dangerous and irresponsible game with the security of the country and the Hungarian people.
Last year 14 Tisza MEPs were admitted to the pro-Brussels European People’s Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament, despite the Hungarian representatives opposing sending weapons to Ukraine, contrary to the EPP’s stance.
