Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday attacked the EU over its Russia-sanctions policy, while tens of thousands protested in Budapest at his neglect of the education sector.

In a speech in the western city of Zalaegerszeg, Orban accused Brussels of “shooting” at Hungary with the sanctions.

“Let’s not worry about those shooting at Hungary in the shadows somewhere behind the watchtowers of Brussels,” he said.

“They will land where their predecessors landed,” he added, hinting that the EU could crumble like the Soviet bloc.

Hungary, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy imports, has maintained ties with the Kremlin to continue receiving gas and oil since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.

At the same time, Budapest has repeatedly denounced the EU sanctions as disastrous for its economy.

Orban was speaking on the anniversary of the start of Hungary’s 1956 uprising against Soviet rule, which was eventually crushed when Moscow sent tanks to quell the rebellion.

Last week Budapest launched a “national consultation” survey of citizens on the EU sanctions. “The sanctions from Brussels are destroying us,” says posters across the country.

Although Hungary voted in favor of the sanctions with his EU counterparts, Orban has regularly protested the damage they have inflicted on the country’s economy.

“War on our doorstep, financial crisis and economic slump in the European Union, migratory invasion in the south, (…) we have to face several problems,” Orban said on Sunday

But he insisted his “strong and united” government would rise to such challenges.

In Budapest, meanwhile, tens of thousands demonstrated against Orban’s education policies, angry at schools’ underfunding and intimidation of teachers who are pushing for better conditions.

After years of unsuccessfully pushing for pay increases, activists are hardening their tone and opposing a February government decree that severely curtailed teachers’ right to strike.

Since the beginning of the school year, teachers and high school students have held several demonstrations in Budapest and in cities across the country in support of teachers who were fired for taking part in previous protests.

The Sunday march in Budapest was the biggest yet and organizers pledged to keep the pressure up in the coming weeks.

“Everyone in my school is exhausted from having to fight for the basics like enough teachers and equipment,” said 17-year-old student Anett Bodi at the demonstration.

“We fully support our teachers in their fight for their rights,” she told the AFP news agency.

Despite acknowledging wages are too low, the government has linked a planned increase to long-awaited EU funds.

That was held up over concerns in Brussels about Hungary’s corruption and slipping from democratic standards.