The campaign atmosphere for the European elections next June has already begun in Hungary, and the ultra-conservative nationalist government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is giving it a virulent anti-European tone that predicts new tensions with Brussels.
This week, billboards have been installed in streets across the country that point in a bad way at the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who appears in a photomontage alongside Alex Soros, president of the Open Society foundation and son of the American tycoon of Hungarian origin George Soros, in turn the traditional recipient of Orbán’s wrath. The poster’s slogan reads: “Let’s not dance to his tune!”, a phrase that condenses Orbán’s usual narrative about the need to stop alleged foreign interference in Hungary’s affairs.
The billboards, financed by the Government, seek to promote citizen participation in a so-called ‘national consultation’ – it is not a referendum nor is its result binding – on issues that confront Orbán with the EU such as migration, support for Ukraine and LGBTQ rights. Responses can be sent until January 10, although less than 20% of adults usually respond to this type of survey.
This is not the first time that Orbán has targeted EU leaders and the Soros family in his propaganda, this one for his liberal foundation and his Central European University (CEU), which, faced with harassment, moved five years ago from Budapest to Vienna. In 2019, a similar billboard campaign featured the laughing faces of then-European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and George Soros, against the backdrop of the migration issue.
Both that campaign and the current one have generated accusations of anti-Semitism, since the Soros are Jewish and the father has been a central element of the negative propaganda of Fidesz, Orbán’s party, for a decade. A controversial 2018 law that criminalizes assistance to migrants – rejected in 2021 by the Court of Justice of the EU – was called by Orbán and his followers as the stop Soros law, since Soros was indicated as the payer of these assistance activities.
Open Society this week reiterated accusations of anti-Semitism. “It has never been about George Soros’ identity as a Jew. It’s about his ideology and his radical activism. “It is about his determination to interfere in the politics of Hungary and other European countries,” Zoltán Kovács, government spokesman, wrote on his blog on Wednesday. Orbán often says that Hungary is the safest country in Europe for Jews thanks to his government’s tough anti-immigration policy.
The survey linked to the fences contains eleven questions, formulated in a combative tone towards Brussels, implying that it is trying to impose its policies on Hungary. Thus, one question states that the EU “wants to create immigrant ghettos in Hungary” and asks respondents if they believe that Hungary should “accept Brussels’ migration plans” or prevent the creation of such “immigrant ghettos.”
Another question warns about “aggressive LGBTQ propaganda” aimed at children, asking whether or not one agrees with the EU’s demand that Hungary repeal the law that prohibits the “promotion” of homosexuality and gender reassignment. before minors under 18 years of age. This law, described as homophobic by the majority of the opposition and by human rights NGOs, in practice prevents addressing homosexuality in educational programs at school.
Another question asks whether Hungary should block the EU plan of 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine if the community club does not first unlock all the funds destined for Hungary that Brussels froze due to the erosion of the rule of law in the country. “They are asking Hungary for additional support [for Ukraine], even when our country has not received its EU funds,” the survey states. “We should not pay more to support Ukraine until we have received the money they owe us,” is one possible response. He also wonders about the possibility of rejecting talks on Ukraine becoming a member of the EU.
These types of surveys are sent by mail to all Hungarians of voting age, and have no legal relevance, but they serve the Executive to ensure that there is consensus on its policies because, although less than 20% of adults normally respond, the Responses show up to 99% support for the Government’s positions. The current one lasts until January 2024, the year in which not only are there European elections but Hungary will also hold municipal elections.
In addition to the consultation, the Fidesz party has proposed the creation by law of a “sovereignty protection office” to investigate foreign influence in Hungary. If adopted, this office would investigate foreign-funded or foreign-linked promotional activities that it believes could influence voters. “This legislation closes the door to any electoral fraud and provides for penalties of up to three years in prison for anyone who uses foreign funds in a campaign,” Máté Kocsis, head of the Fidesz parliamentary group, said on Facebook.
Human rights NGOs and civil society groups maintain that this office could persecute journalists, unions, churches and companies. “The bill is part of the Government’s attempt to silence all critical voices,” they warned. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) says the text is “intentionally vague,” and that “this deliberate ambiguity allows the new authority to arbitrarily consider any activity linked to the public sphere as serving of foreign interests.”