Sex, health, child abuse scandals threaten Orban reelection

"Hungary is no stranger to extremely polarized election campaigns. For decades now, Victor Orban has whether in government or in the opposition followed the same playbook: Starting months ahead of the polls, he has run campaigns that suggest the very survival of the Hungarian nation is at stake. In these campaigns, he styles himself as the only one who can save Hungary and its people from evil and the threat of destruction at the hands of the country's enemies."

"Orban, his government and his party, Fidesz, have no qualms about papering the country with thousands upon thousands of anti-Ukrainian posters, using taxpayers' money to organize a "national petition" against the EU and Ukraine, and flooding social media with AI-generated fake videos about the opposition. With Tisza clearly and consistently ahead in opinion polls, there is a real possibility that Prime Minister Victor Orban could lose the election on April 12, and this time, the campaign is more negative than ever."

"These videos all have one thing in common: They spread nonsense and fabrications. The prime minister and his team are essentially claiming that if Orban loses the election, the country will face war, mobilization on the Ukrainian front, and enslavement and mass impoverishment as a result of tax increases from Brussels. In view of this particularly extreme campaign, Gabor Torok an otherwise sober political scientist has already spoken of the "decline and fall" of political culture."

Victor Orban has long run highly polarized, survival-of-the-nation election campaigns portraying himself as Hungary's sole protector against external enemies. The current campaign is especially negative: Fidesz uses thousands of anti‑Ukrainian posters, a taxpayer‑funded “national petition” against the EU and Ukraine, and AI-generated fake videos attacking the opposition. The campaign warns of war, mobilization on the Ukrainian front, enslavement, and mass impoverishment with Brussels‑imposed tax hikes if Orban loses. Widespread public fatigue with perceived corruption, arrogance, and autocratic governance fuels opposition support. Polls show Tisza clearly ahead, creating a realistic possibility that Orban could lose power for the first time since 2010.

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