The Kremlin has launched an active information campaign to support Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party ahead of the parliamentary elections in April 2026. The Financial Times cites sources familiar with the situation, as well as the campaign project mentioned in the piece.
According to FT, the administration of the Russian president approved a plan to boost Fidesz’s ratings. The development is led by the company “Social Design Agency” (Social Design Agency, SDA), connected with the Russian authorities and currently under Western sanctions.
The text proposes presenting Orbán as a strong leader with global allies and naming him the only candidate capable of preserving Hungary’s sovereignty. Orbán’s main rival – Péter Madar from the opposition party “Tisa” – is proposed to be portrayed as a “puppet from Brussels without external support.” The plan also foresees “information attacks” against Madar and his party as the “plaything of the EU.”
Aware of the risk of overt assistance from Russia, SDA, according to FT, did not engage in direct contacts with Hungarian officials and chose the path of establishing contacts with local influential circles.
It contained AI-generated images of Ukrainian cash-in-transit couriers who were detained in Budapest with cash and gold.
– Financial Times
In the context of rising anti-Ukrainian materials in Hungarian social networks in recent weeks, one example was the Ripost tabloid affiliated with Orbán’s party. It used AI-generated images of Ukrainian cash-in-transit couriers detained in Budapest with cash and gold, which generated more than 100 thousand interactions.
It contained AI-generated images of Ukrainian cash-in-transit couriers who were detained in Budapest with cash and gold.
– Financial Times
The Russian ambassador to Budapest, Yevgeny Stanislavov, assured that Moscow is not taking part in the election campaign in Hungary. According to him, Russia seeks only to “ensure the continuation of normal bilateral relations and the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Russia only wants to “ensure the continuation of normal bilateral relations and the development of mutually beneficial cooperation”.
– Yevgeny Stanislavov, Russian ambassador to Budapest
Hungary denies any Russian interference in internal processes. The spokesman for the Russian president Dmitry Peskov called the Financial Times material a “fake”.
called the Financial Times’ information a “fake”.
– Dmitry Peskov
Experts note that such actions can influence European electoral processes. At the same time, the Hungarian government asserts transparency and the absence of external interference, while Moscow and Budapest speak of responsibility and readiness to avoid spreading false information and to support dialogue to normalize bilateral relations.