AI videos fuel rhetoric as Orbán bids for four more years in Hungary
AI Videos Fuel Rhetoric as Orbán Seeks Fourth Term in Hungary
As Hungary prepares for crucial elections on 12 April, the ruling Fidesz party has intensified its use of AI-generated content to sway public opinion. A particular clip, which circulated online in February, appeared to depict a Hungarian soldier being executed, sparking alarm among viewers. The video, though clearly fabricated, was strategically released to highlight the perceived dangers of opposition leader Péter Magyar’s policies.
The clip unfolds with a young girl watching from a window, hopeful for her father’s return from war. Suddenly, the scene shifts to his capture—blindfolded, tied, and then shot by his captors. This imagery is meant to underscore the risks of Magyar’s leadership, as he faces the prospect of challenging Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power. Fidesz’s campaign has repeatedly used AI videos to reinforce claims that Magyar would bring Russia’s conflict to Hungary’s borders, even suggesting he might divert pension funds to support Ukraine and enforce conscription.
Magyar and his party Tisza have dismissed these allegations, emphasizing their commitment to avoiding troop deployments and maintaining conscription as a voluntary measure. Despite this, Fidesz has not clarified whether the execution video was AI-generated, leaving the authenticity of the narrative open to question. In a Facebook interview, Támas Menczer, head of Fidesz-KNDP communications, argued that Tisza’s support for the war could lead to Hungarian casualties, but he did not confirm the video’s artificial origin.
AI as a Weapon in Political Messaging
“The video is an AI video, but the war is really horrible,” the clip states, blending synthetic imagery with a dire warning about the consequences of supporting Ukraine. This tactic reflects a broader trend, with Zsófia Fülöp, a journalist at Hungary’s independent fact-checking site Lakmusz, noting that generative AI has become central to Fidesz’s campaign. “It is omnipresent in this election cycle, especially in the messaging of the ruling party and its affiliated media,” she explained, though she acknowledged the party had used similar strategies before.
Meanwhile, a separate AI video shared by the pro-Fidesz National Resistance Movement (NEM) portrayed a fabricated phone conversation between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Magyar, implying he would approve financial aid to Ukraine. The clip was viewed over 3.7 million times before NEM admitted its synthetic nature. Magyar labeled the video as “heartless manipulation,” yet it had already spread through government-aligned channels and even the prime minister’s own posts.
Another incident involving AI-driven disinformation occurred last month, when Hungarian anti-terrorism police detained seven Ukrainian bank workers carrying $80 million in cash and 9 kilograms of gold. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha alleged the government had seized the group and their funds, while the workers claimed they were on a routine trip between Austria and Ukraine. The Hungarian authorities argued the money might be used to finance pro-Ukraine forces, though the bank workers were released without charges.
“We’re in a state of hallucination,” said Éva Bognár, a researcher at the Central European University’s Democracy Institute. “The entire campaign feels like a disinformation strategy, built on a false narrative that Hungary is on the verge of war.” Despite these efforts, Magyar remains ahead in most opinion polls, suggesting the AI content may not yet have swayed the majority of voters.