Orbán’s media and propaganda machine against the opposition and democracy exposes how Hungary is being ruthlessly manipulated ahead of the 2026 election.
1/20
In Hungary, an aggressive campaign against the opposition officially began ahead of the parliamentary elections on April 12, 2026. At the center, as so often, is Viktor Orbán, a master of manipulation who has built a system based on fear, lies, and conspiracy theories.
2/20
Hungary is among the EU countries with the strongest pressure on media freedom. In 2018, 476 pro government media outlets were consolidated into KESMA, placed under the control of Orbán allies and exempted from oversight by decree. This created a powerful instrument to weaken independent media.
3/20
Orbán uses MTVA to fully control state TV, radio and news websites. Critical reporting is suppressed, investigative journalists face surveillance and intimidation, and public media are turned into tools of government propaganda.
4/20
Pro Fidesz media dominate TV, radio, newspapers and online and systematically silence opposition and critical reporting. State aligned outlets echo government talking points, deny meaningful space to dissent and keep the public in the dark about scandals and abuses.
5/20
In summer 2020, the Fidesz party created Megafon, a media monster of bloggers, commentators and influencers that systematically spreads propaganda for Orbán, funded by billions from oligarchs and opaque sources, partly drawn from public funds.
6/20
Orbán’s core strategy is to invent and demonize enemies while portraying himself as a defender against fabricated threats. Disinformation and manipulation are disguised as government information campaigns, as seen in the attacks on Soros and the European Commission. In 2022, Ukraine and the opposition were cast as the new enemies.
7/20
Orbán’s main target became @magyarpeterMP and his party Tisza, which, according to polls, is ahead of the ruling Fidesz. Pro‑government outlets label him as “mentally ill” and accuse him of acting in the interests of Brussels and Ukraine.
8/20
Kremlin fanatic Orbán and his media spread false claims that an opposition victory would supposedly drag Hungary into the war in Ukraine, send Hungarian soldiers to the front, and trigger an economic collapse that he himself caused. As part of this campaign, a “national petition” was launched to oppose funding for Ukraine.
9/20
Orbán supporters, including oligarchs, funneled over €1.5 million through their NEM group into Facebook and YouTube ads using unmarked AI videos and deepfakes to specifically target opposition figure Péter Magyar, the highest amount in the EU, according to platform data.
10/20
Orbán relies on emotional manipulation: A clip with AI-generated soldiers in coffins was even shown on state TV to campaign against Ukraine’s EU accession. Some NEM videos feature artificially created people to stir outrage over Magyar’s alleged policies, while others are deepfakes of him himself.
11/20
The authoritarian regime, obsessed with conspiracy theories, claims that the EU and George Soros’s networks directly fund the opposition and are preparing a “shadow government” to overthrow Orbán. In February 2025, Orbán called in a state radio interview to “sweep Soros’s network” out of Hungary.
12/20
Disinformation materials are also being spread, such as “fake SBU letters,” aimed at turning the Hungarian electorate against Ukraine and opposition forces that support closer ties with the EU.
13/20
To defend the Kremlin-aligned Hungarian leader, media campaigns were also launched from Russia and Belarus. He is portrayed as the sole leader in the EU, and any criticism of Orbán by the European Union is presented in Russian and Belarusian media as “political pressure.”
14/20
Hungarian media controlled by Orbán, in turn, spread Russian propaganda content, covering Putin’s policies positively and criticizing the West, NATO, and Ukraine. Russian media content, articles, and reports are regularly republished and broadcast through state and pro-Orbán media.
15/20
In 2025–2026, laws were passed or proposed reminiscent of Russian legislation, under the guise of “protecting sovereignty,” allowing independent media and NGOs receiving foreign funding to be blocked and restricted.
16/20
Fidesz secures its power through targeted gerrymandering and manipulation of electoral district boundaries. At the end of 2024, districts in opposition strongholds like Budapest were removed, while rural areas were strengthened. The “winner compensation” system also ensures that Orbán’s party gains a massive majority even with a narrow vote, distorting the competition in favor of the government on April 12, 2026.
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Additionally, the state Audit Office (ÁSZ) is used to financially drain opposition parties through draconian fines. At the same time, the “Sovereignty Law” allows any critical election observation to be criminalized as illegal foreign interference, intimidating NGOs. This institutional repression prevents fair oversight of the electoral process.
18/20
Orbán is exploring ways to retain power regardless of the outcome of the parliamentary elections in April. He is considering becoming president and changing the law to make the position the most powerful in the country. After a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House in November, Orbán stated that a shift to a presidential system is “always on the table.”
19/20
The economic stagnation and record inflation of recent years have weakened Fidesz’s social base. To distract from the country’s major problems, caused by the Orbán clan itself, the corrupt government increasingly fabricates “external enemies.” The massive propaganda spending is a desperate attempt to smother truth and democracy with lies.
20/20
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