Magyar Péter in Kisvárd: Seszták is the first member of the "Suits in Prison" programme
In a speech in Kisvárd, Magyar Péter discussed the detention of Seszták Miklós and the region's billion-forint suspicious investments. According to 24.hu, the Tisza party leader announced the end of an era of fear.
Magyar Péter in Kisvárd: end of the era of fear, Seszták in prison
According to 24.hu, Magyar Péter, president of the Tisza Party and prime minister, continued his nationwide tour in Kisvárd, where, referring to the detained KDNP representative Seszták Miklós, he stated: "that certain Purgatory Fire has begun and is flaming, and fear is ceasing."
Magyar thanked the residents of Kisvárd for their large turnout and for the Szabolcs apples. He highlighted that change in the region is already perceptible: the local parliamentary representative, Viktória Dicső, achieved a result of 61.52 per cent in Kisvárd, gaining twice as many votes as her predecessor.
Seszták's political network and the detention
Magyar recalled that Seszták Miklós's political influence extended from local public administration through healthcare and education to the business sphere, and even to coffee brewed on the beach. The former development minister was taken into custody by the National Asset Recovery and Asset Protection Authority: in the Volánbusz affair, he is suspected of accepting 11-12 billion forints in cash bribes connected to state transport contracts. The court ordered 30 days' detention, which he is serving in a Budapest correctional facility.
Magyar placed the figure into perspective: in Kisvárd, with a population of 11-12 thousand, every single resident would have received one million forints from the alleged bribes.
The controversial Volánbusz contract was concluded by the Gyurcsány government in 2005, but on Seszták Miklós's proposal, the Orbán government extended it until the end of 2019, despite internal irregularity reports, the prime minister added. The Government Audit Office (KEHI) already investigated the matter in 2021 and filed a report for breach of fiduciary duty, but the organisation's leaders subsequently dared not record the details in writing.
Magyar observed that Fidesz and KDNP did not particularly defend Seszták Miklós — they voted unanimously to suspend his parliamentary immunity and then "let go of his hand." He added ironically that no one could now take away from Seszták the fact that he became the first member of the "Suits in Prison" programme. It was also telling, he reasoned, that despite his extensive church and Greek Catholic connections, no prayer chain or mass was organised for him after his detention.
"Intimidation was the daily experience for decades"
According to Magyar Péter, in Kisvárd and the region, intimidation was the everyday experience for decades, which left bankrupt businesses and displaced families in its wake. In spring 2024, when he first visited the small settlements in the county, great fear still gripped people, and far fewer dared to come out because they feared for their family's livelihood, he recalled.
Viktória Dicső, the local representative, spoke of the closing of an era of fear and listings, and, quoting István Bibó, stated that freedom begins where fear ends. She emphasised that since 1990, it has not occurred in Hungary for a former government member to be taken into custody and then placed in court detention.
Magyar recalled Seszták's earlier statement that there were no Tisza supporters in Kisvárd — then, pointing to the crowd, he said that Tisza had overflowed, and whilst the former minister was inside, the residents of Kisvárd were outside, free.
The president of the Tisza Party named the victory in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg the achievement of brave local volunteers and the Tisza Islands. He mentioned that some local mayors — including the wife of Miklós Simon — had previously called the police on the party's volunteers and tried to drive them out; threats with air guns also occurred.
Billion-forint investments without improved living standards
Magyar Péter itemised what he considered to be the region's suspicious and profitless investments: mud wellness, tennis academy, visitor space centre, snail farm. The tens of billions of forints in state and EU funds arriving in Kisvárd were spent on overpriced projects that created no permanent jobs, he said.
He posed the question: despite the luxury investments, has the quality of the roads in the surrounding area improved, or has the serious doctor shortage been resolved? He pointed out that the county continues to face significant shortages of teachers, nurses, healthcare workers and decently paid jobs.
Viktória Dicső added that the economic damage could be remedied relatively quickly with transparent governance, but resolving the moral crisis and fear that has crippled society would require much time and patience.
Fraction meeting on site
Magyar jokingly remarked that with the Tisza representatives present on site — including Szabolcs Bóna, Bálint Ruff and László Gajdos — they would soon be able to hold a fraction meeting, since there were more of them than three parliamentary opposition factions combined. Kisvárd and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county do not belong to Fidesz, but nor do they belong to the Tisza Party; they belong solely to the people who live here, the prime minister concluded, and then also recalled the demands of the March Youth of 1848.
Source: 24.hu