Does Viktor Orban intend to eliminate the last democratic strongholds in Hungary? The question is not unfounded, especially after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump - since then Orban seems to be gripped by the same uncontrollable anger as his "comrade" (in Orban's words) in the White House. He sharply delegitimizes any kind of criticism and makes unprecedented threats to its sources.
The culmination was Orban's review speech last Sunday, March 22, in which the program for the year was also outlined, full of monstrous rhetoric. In it, he called Ukraine "a region called Ukraine", and what was left of it was to become a "buffer zone" between Russia and NATO. The audience before whom I gave my speech - selected party comrades and supporters - applauded enthusiastically.
There was particularly loud applause and joyful exclamations at the moment when Orban hinted that in the future pride parades would be banned, and the Constitution would stipulate that a person can only be either a man or a woman.
In addition, Orban believes that so far the government and the state have been too restrained and tolerant towards their critics, and announced that they will be repaid with harsh repression. The independent portal Telex, which is usually careful in its choice of words, came up with the headline "Orbán has gone wild", while other media outlets wrote that he has reached "unprecedented radicalization".
Orbán calls his critics "traitors", "pseudo-activists of the civil society" or "mercenaries of Soros networks". He is referring primarily to journalists and collaborators of non-governmental organizations, whom Orbán accuses of corruption and abuse of power. The famous Hungarian comedian András Somogyi commented on this as follows: "Blame your enemies for the deeds you yourself commit".
Bannings on entry to the country and revocation of citizenship?
It is not yet clear what concrete steps the Hungarian prime minister and his government will take against their critics. In his speech, Orbán said only: "We will urgently create the constitutional and legal prerequisites so that we will not have to watch helplessly as organizations that supposedly support civil society serve foreign interests and organize political actions right before our eyes.".
However, the newspaper Magyar Nemzet, an unofficial mouthpiece for Orbán and the government, wrote that Orbán planned to expel critics from the country. Details were lacking, which is why the Hungarian public has been speculating ever since about possible entry bans or the deprivation of citizenship for Orbán's critics.
He himself fueled speculation by announcing that a Hungarian "Magnitsky Act" was being prepared - in response to the American regulatory act of that name, which affects people such as those in Orbán's entourage.
"Special Envoy" in the USA
Another possible measure could be to expand the powers of the so-called Sovereignty Protection Office. It was created in early 2024 to document violations of Hungarian sovereignty. It has no executive powers - it is practically Orbán's propaganda organ against criticism of his system. And if, for example, investigative journalists uncover corruption scandals in Hungary, the office responds with a report denouncing the journalists as "agents of foreign influence".
Orbán announced his offensive against critics immediately after Donald Trump ordered the closure of USAID. The Hungarian government, in turn, singled out USAID and almost daily disseminates messages in which the organization is defined as a kind of global "dark force", whose goal was to overthrow Christian, patriotic and national-conservative governments. To counter USAID in Hungary, Orban plans to send a "special envoy" to the US to find out on the spot who the organization has supported in Hungary.
Millions watch the film "Dynasty"
A specific current occasion for the planned "great purge" may be a documentary prepared by Hungarian journalists who have been investigating corruption in Hungary for years. The film "Dynasty", which has also been published on YouTube, focuses on the fabulous rise of Orban's family members and people from his inner circle, who acquired enormous wealth in a short time. This rise would not have been possible if Orban had not been an autocratic prime minister with wide opportunities for interference in the judiciary and the state apparatus. In just a few weeks, the documentary was watched by over three million people.
During this time, dissatisfaction with Orbán's corrupt system in Hungary is growing, as evidenced by the enormous popularity of the "Tisa" party (an abbreviation of the words for respect and freedom), founded by Orbán's former associate, lawyer Peter Magyar. In public opinion polls, it is on par with Orbán's "Fidesz" or even ahead of it.
"We will not tolerate opposition"
If there is a change of power in Hungary, Orbán and his associates are threatened with convictions and imprisonment for corruption and harm to national interests. For this reason, the electoral law, which is already tailored to the interests of "Fidesz", could be changed once again.
In general, the climate in Hungary is even more repressive than in the late years of the communist dictatorship. Although Orbán has proclaimed Hungary the "freest country in the EU", most Hungarians are now afraid to express their opinions openly. For now, Orbán does not have the need to imprison or kill his critics like his beloved Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The Hungarian prime minister has been consistently claiming for weeks that since Trump took office, he and his party have felt "empowered". In his speech, Orbán explicitly warned his critics: "We will not watch indifferently as they collect their rewards before our eyes and boast of their impunity in anticipation of international protection".