💾 NewsMix Backup

Good night! Sweet dreams! 😼

1 view22:41

Orbán continues to promote claims of “foreign interference” ahead of Hungary’s upcoming elections.

Another statement accusing the West, as well as specific media outlets and journalists, was published by the Office for the Protection of Hungarian Sovereignty, a body created by the current government that critics say performs functions similar to Russia’s “foreign agents” framework.

“A large-scale disinformation campaign is underway under the leadership of foreign intelligence services, aimed at influencing the 2026 elections and undermining Hungarian foreign policy. The aim of the operation is to create a narrative in the domestic public discourse that the Hungarian government and the electoral process have come under Russian influence. The campaign is being carried out by a foreign-funded network of media workers, influencers, and politicians, and aims to divert public attention from the elections.

The latest disinformation operation involved an international media consortium, including VSquare, where Szabolcs Panyi works, The Insider, and the Baltic outlet Delfi. With the help of intelligence services, the consortium gained access to audio recordings of conversations between the Hungarian and Russian foreign ministers, as well as other government officials.

According to the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty, the publications involved are active participants in intelligence operations conducted on the continent, and their funding is largely linked to the European Commission. By the end of 2025, the Commission had distributed around €33 million (approximately $36 million) among so-called ‘anti-disinformation’ and ‘fact-checking’ networks. These funds were allegedly used to carry out campaigns to discredit political opponents. In Hungary, a project led by Political Capital has already provided more than €4 million (approximately $4.3 million) for similar purposes to organizations such as 444 Publishing House, Magyar Hang, Amnesty International, and Mérték Médiaelemző Műhely,” the report says.

The report also claims that members of the network, such as the British Zinc Network or the Dutch Bellingcat, “maintain close ties with U.S. and British government, military, and intelligence circles.”

“These organizations often, on the basis of non-disclosure agreements, disseminate their clients’ messages in Central and Eastern Europe through content presented as reliable. The OCCRP network, which includes the Hungarian Direkt36 and Átlátszó, acts as a political weapon, trying to influence democratic decision-making and voters,” Orbán added.

The Office for the Protection of Sovereignty of Hungary was established in 2024 by Orbán’s Fidesz party to investigate foreign influence on politics and elections. It examines foreign funding received by parties and media, and the relevant law предусматривает up to three years in prison for the “illegal use of funds from abroad.”

The body has the authority to conduct investigations, request information from state institutions and private individuals, and publish reports on its findings.

Human rights activists and critics compare the law on foreign influence to Russia’s “foreign agents” legislation, saying it is being used to pressure the opposition, independent media, and civil society.

1 view22:49