Historical eventSeptember 172006

Őszöd speech

An audio tape of a private speech by Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány is leaked to the public, in which he confessed that his Hungarian Socialist Party had lied to win the 2006 election, sparking widespread protests across the country.

20th anniversary in 2026

Everything on September 17Original source

In context

When
Sunday, September 17 200620 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2000s
Anniversary
20th in 2026
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 2006-05-26.

Place: Balatonőszöd, Hungary.

Type: oration.

What came beforeAI-assisted

Ferenc Gyurcsány became Hungarian Prime Minister in September 2004, leading a Socialist-led coalition government. Hungary faced economic difficulties including high budget deficits and inflation in the mid-2000s.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

Gyurcsány delivered a confidential speech to the MSZP congress in Balatonőszöd on May 17, 2006, in which he admitted the government had lied about the state of the economy to win the April 2006 elections. Magyar Rádió obtained and broadcast a recording of the speech on September 17, 2006, exposing his remarks to the public.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

Ferenc Gyurcsány, Prime Minister and MSZP leader, delivered the speech. Magyar Rádió, Hungary's national public radio broadcaster, leaked and aired the recording.

TimelineAI-assisted

April 9, 2006: Hungarian parliamentary elections held; Socialist-led coalition wins. May 17, 2006: Gyurcsány addresses MSZP congress confidentially in Balatonőszöd.

September 17, 2006: Magyar Rádió broadcasts the leaked speech recording, triggering nationwide protests and a political crisis that lasted weeks.

What happened

Reactions Viktor Orbán , then-chairman of Fidesz , called Ferenc Gyurcsány "a compulsive liar" (" Hungarian : beteges hazudozó ") whom his party considers as "a person who is a part of history and the past" (" Hungarian : a történelemhez és a múlthoz tartozó személy "). [ 1 ] [ 2 ] ^ "Orbán: Beteges hazudozóval van dolgunk" . Magyar Nemzet . 22 September 2006. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. ^ "A Fidesz nem áll többé szóba Gyurcsánnyal" . Index . 21 September 2006 .

The Őszöd speech was a speech Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány delivered to the 2006 Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) congress in Balatonőszöd. Though the May congress was confidential, Gyurcsány's address was leaked and broadcast by Magyar Rádió on Sunday, 17 September 2006, igniting a nationwide political crisis.

September 17 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 2001New York Stock Exchange
  2. 2006Fourpeaked Mountain
  3. 2006Őszöd speech
  4. 2008Al-Qaeda in Yemen
  5. 2011Adbusters
  6. 2011Occupy Wall Street
  7. 2013Grand Theft Auto V
  8. 20162016 New York and New Jersey bombings
  9. 2018Israeli Air Force
  10. 2018Syria missile strikes (September 2018)
  11. 2025Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement

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Everything we record for 2006 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Őszöd speech”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/oszod-speech-2006-september-17, accessed October 27, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Őszöd speech happen?

September 17 2006 — 20 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

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