In the sudden autumn heat, passers-by come and go lazily in the public squares of Budapest. It is a weekday afternoon, and the temperature is close to 30 degrees Celsius. We did not choose the best time to report, and as it turned out later, not only because of the heat. We looked at the progress of Fidesz's signature collection, Stop, Gyurcsány! Stop, Christmas! petition .

Most of the booths welcomed me willingly, typically they thought I was going to sign, but there was also an activist who didn't even know what kind of media Mandiner was (we hope he will read us more after that) and asked for a press pass and an apology. The latter for his lack of trust, which he explained by the fact that it had happened before that someone approached them, and only at the end of their pleasant conversation did it become clear that the person was a colleague of a left-wing paper.

At the first location

an older man and a young activist greet me, protecting themselves from the blinding sun with an orange umbrella with the words "FIDESZ".

They have been standing for two weeks from eight in the morning to six in the evening, which is a really tiring task.

Stop, Gyurcsány! is mostly signed by the elderly. Stop, Christmas! petition

Kristóf (names have been changed for data protection reasons), the activist, says that I came at the worst time, because there are orders of magnitude fewer people on the street after lunch. Of course, a couple of them come to sign, at which point we interrupt our conversation. According to him, most people stop at the stands in the morning, before school and work, or in the afternoon on their way home, especially the younger age group.

Fact: the signatories we meet are typically from the older age group, but according to the activists, this is also a general feature. According to them, roughly 60-70 percent of supporters are at or close to retirement age. They believe this is because

the majority of young people, especially those of school age, are not really interested in politics until they feel its reality on their own skin.

We felt in 2006 - recalls one of them - that this is all about making sure something like this doesn't happen again! Well, yes - I also recall the memories - my age group understands this. The sight of tear gas and people beaten to a bloody pulp is truly a lasting experience. According to the activist, young people who have no direct experience of the period when Ferenc Gyurcsány was prime minister can be addressed with works such as Elk*rtuk, which will be released in cinemas in October! film, which shows the events that happened in the fall of 2006 .

"I also hate Gyurcsány, but Christmas even more!"

In response to our question, a man in his sixties tells us that he signed the petition because he has always belonged to the right-wing community and had a hard time experiencing the governance of the MSZP and SZDSZ. "The left has completely ruined and put the country in debt. In 2005, in that disgraceful referendum, they said no to Hungarians living abroad, they betrayed the nation!

I think they have no place in public life, in politics!"

he says. When asked what he thinks of Gergely Karácsony, he says that he is just a puppet, "but it seems that he is spineless and has no character." This is proven by the frauds he was involved in at work, he adds. According to him, it is shameful that the citizens of the capital elected Karácsony as mayor in 2019 instead of István Tarlós, who "apart from smiling beautifully and making statements to the liberal press, does nothing".

According to the activists, most of them come purposefully, to sign. Of course not everyone. "What is this promotion about?" - asks an older woman, and after the initiative is presented to her, she enthusiastically signs her name on the signature sheet.

"I also hate Gyurcsány, but Christmas even more! Isn't that man ashamed of himself?”

- says the woman, who says that the mayor lied about his language exam and doctorate, and always tries to shift the blame to someone else anyway.

Dániel Ábel Pálfy's milky report HERE .

Featured image: István Hollik, Fidesz's communications director, and László Böröcz, the party's parliamentary representative, hold a press conference at Stop, Gyurcsány! About his petition called Stop Christmas in Budapest. MTI/Zoltán Balogh