## โBudapest Mayor allegesโ Pressure to Influence 2026 Elections
Budapestโ Mayor Gergely โฃChristmas has publicly stated โขhe received communications suggesting a desire from within โFidesz to leverage his position to influence the outcome of the 2026 parliamentary elections.โฃ Speaking on Wednesday during an appearance on ATV Straight Speech, Christmas indicated โtheโ messages โhinted at a strategy involving a new progressive โฃparty to โfracture the opposition. He stated โthis could be a key consideration in โขfuture government negotiations.
Christmasโข recounted receiving these messages around a month ago, originating from an individual โwith Fidesz ties who approached him in the hallway โฃof the ATV studio – a conversation he initially dismissed as possibly a joke. He connected this to the recent financialโ strain on the capital, specifically the approximately 70 billion Forint ($4.5 billion USD) โฃwithdrawnโข fromโ Budapest’s accounts following a December court ruling in Pรฉcsโค thatโข overturned the immediate enforcement of a Metropolitan courtโค decision โค(link to Telex article).While declining โขto name the individual, Christmas confirmed receivingโค “more than one” message. He described the core message as an offer โฃof financial relief for the capitalโ in exchange forโฃ actions that would “disrupt opposition waters”โค andโ prevent a change in government. When asked if he perceived this as blackmail, he responded, โ”No, no, but that’s a message anyway.”
Christmas also noted a recent breakdownโค inโค interactionโข with national government ministers, stating they are no longer responding to his calls or texts. He described the resulting silence as “worrisome,” leading to โขspeculation about the government’s โคintentions.he emphasized he is not actively โขplanning strategies to define opposition or domestic politics for the 2026 election.However, he expressedโ a clearโค preference for a government that is supportive of Budapest and itsโข municipal interests, stating he views this outcome as more likely than a sudden shift โin the current government’s approach.
Christmas also revealed that prior to the 2022 elections, โattempts were made to dissuade him from pursuing โactions he believed were in the โฃbestโข interest of the city.