Wałęsa: Hungary's PM made a big mistake by not imprisoning former Orban regime officials

Lech Wałęsa, the former Polish president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has strongly urged Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar to take decisive action against politicians from the previous Orban administration. Wałęsa stated that Magyar's failure to imprison any former regime officials is a "big mistake."

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I asked the Prime Minister (Péter Magyar) how many people from the former regime have been sent to prison so far. He answered me that not a single one, to which I told him that it is a big mistake.

During a conference in Budapest, Wałęsa told Magyar that he had asked how many people from the former regime had been imprisoned, and upon learning the answer was none, he conveyed his strong disapproval. Wałęsa believes that Hungary, like Poland, risks seeing the old system re-emerge if swift and firm action is not taken. He pointed to Poland's experience, where he feels the former Law and Justice (PiS) government's influence is returning after its removal.

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Decisive action is necessary. The old system has caused a lot of harm to many Hungarians, so it must be shown that those responsible will be punished for it.

"Decisive action is necessary," Wałęsa asserted, emphasizing that the old system caused significant harm to many Hungarians and that perpetrators must be held accountable. He warned that if the new government fails to act quickly, Hungarian society will lose faith in democracy, perceiving it as ineffective. Wałęsa specifically mentioned that former Prime Minister Viktor Orban has traveled to the United States and might not return, which could make the new government appear weak for its inability to address the past.

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They must prove that democracy is effective in achieving its goals, otherwise people will not believe in it. I told Péter Magyar that he is working too slowly, because no one is in prison yet.

Furthermore, Wałęsa suggested that Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok should be removed from office because of his connections to the old regime. He argued that otherwise, Hungary could end up like Poland, where the president, Karol Navrocki, allegedly obstructs the government's work, undermining democracy. Wałęsa sees intervention as necessary, acknowledging the inherent risks involved in such actions.

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The former prime minister has now traveled to America and will probably not return from there. Because of this, the new government will look weak because it was unable to do anything with Orban.