Video. Hungary: 70 years after Soviet crackdown, leaders honour rebellion victims

Prime Minister Péter Magyar attended a flag-raising ceremony outdoors parliament on Lajos Kossuth Square earlier than laying flowers at memorials and graves, together with that of Imre Nagy, the previous prime minister executed after the 1956 revolution.

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The rebellion, which started on 23 October 1956, lasted 15 days earlier than Soviet troops and tanks crushed the revolt, killing as much as 3,000 revolutionaries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined the commemorations, addressing Hungarian lawmakers throughout a particular parliamentary session attended by European Council President António Costa. She praised the braveness of Hungarians who fought for freedom, democracy, and justice, drawing parallels with the nation’s latest political transition following Viktor Orbán’s departure from energy.

Her go to comes as Budapest seeks the discharge of billions of euros in frozen EU funding, withheld over rule-of-law and corruption considerations. Brussels maintains that additional reforms are wanted earlier than the funds will be unlocked, a key problem for Magyar’s new authorities.