The party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán "Fidesz" and the structures controlled by it distributed a record number of advertisements with frank anti-Western narratives on social networks on the eve of the elections to the European Parliament.
Points of attention
- Fidesz, the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, is distributing a record number of anti-Western advertisements on social networks, targeting internal and external threats.
- Opposition politician Peter Magyar has created a strong party in opposition to Orbán, promising to end his time in power and appealing to disgruntled voters.
- The high level of spending on political advertising in Hungary, particularly by Fidesz, has raised concerns about the influence of anti-Western narratives in the media space.
- The potential victory of the opposition party in the elections could reshape Hungary's political landscape and influence the dynamics within the European Union.
- Magyar's Respect and Freedom Party has gained significant support among voters disillusioned with Orbán's government, setting the stage for a potential shift in power in Hungary.
Orbán's party is distributing anti-Western advertisements and slogans in record volumes
It is noted that this became known based on the results of a study conducted by analysts of the Political Capital center.
While the pro-government camp spent 4.3 million euros on advertising in Meta and Google, all 14 opposition parties and their associated media spent less than a fifth of this amount - 839,000 euros, according to the research report. .
It is emphasized that only one pro-government party of Orban spent about 2 million euros, which is 2.6 times more than all 14 opposition parties combined, which spent 764 thousand 558 euros.
The level of spending on political advertising on the Internet in Hungary is outstanding even by European standards.
This year, "Fidesz" was the largest advertiser on Google in the EU, paying for six of the 10 most promoted videos, the research emphasizes.
According to analysts, Fidesz and the party's proxies have become key distributors of anti-Western narratives in Hungary's media space.
The most promoted hostile narrative for the entire period from February 4 to June 1 was directed against the newly minted oppositionist Peter Magyar, who accounted for 46% of the total costs for the promotion of such narratives.
The second most promoted hostile narrative, accounting for 34% of total spending, is about the war in Ukraine, which claims that "European pro-war politicians and their Hungarian minions want to unleash World War III."
This narrative gradually grew in importance as the election approached, and in recent weeks it has overtaken and partially absorbed all other narratives.
The third most prevalent hostile narrative, accounting for 9% of total spending, is about anti-government forces allegedly serving foreign interests.
What is known about the activities of the opposition in Hungary
According to AP journalists, Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar gathered tens of thousands of his supporters in Budapest on the eve of the European Parliament elections, opposing the policies of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
It is noted that Magyar managed to create the most powerful opposition party in Hungary within a few months.
He hopes to use these results during the European Parliament elections to propel himself and his movement to defeat Orbán in the next national election, scheduled for 2026.
Once an insider to Orbán's Fidesz party, Magyar quickly rose to prominence for publicly accusing the prime minister and his allies of corruption and anti-democratic tendencies.
On Saturday, Magyar addressed a crowd that packed Budapest's Heroes' Square, saying he and his movement would build a "more beautiful, peaceful and happy country" and end Orbán's 14-year rule.
The latest polls show that Fidesz is likely to win a relative majority in Sunday's election, but Magyar's Respect and Freedom Party (TISZA) could gain up to 30% and cause Fidesz to lose seats among the 21-member Hungarian delegation in the EU legislative body.
TISZA has built its base of support among voters disillusioned with both Orbán's illiberal form of government and Hungary's traditional opposition parties, which have proved unable to mount a serious challenge to the populist leader's rule since 2010.
Magyar rejected Orbán's accusation that he - or any other Hungarians - were "advocating war". In a May interview with the AP, he unequivocally pointed to the potential risks if Russia is allowed to keep the Ukrainian territories it occupies, including the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.
In his final appeal to voters ahead of Saturday's election, he said he would end Orbán's "fear mongering" and work for the good of a country where "there is no left, no right, only Hungarians."
