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Speculations about foreign interference in Hungarian elections

January 24th, 2022

A pro-government columnist fears that foreign agencies including the CIA may interfere in the Hungarian election to help the opposition. The leading liberal weekly finds such accusations absurd, and points out that it is the government that created a network of foreign supporters.

Magyar Nemzet’s László Szőcs praises Tucker Carlson’s documentary Hungary vs. Soros, which aired on Fox News, and the right-wing host’s interview with Foreign Minister Szijjártó. Szőcs believes that Carlson paints a much fairer picture of Hungary than liberal media outlets that, in Szőcs’ interpretation, are engaged in an ideological war against the Hungarian government. He agrees with Carlson’s remark that the Hungarian government and its liberal critics are engaged in a ‘civilizational war’. Szőcs recalls that earlier in January, left-wing campaign strategist Gábor Bruck suggested that if the opposition parties have a real chance of winning the April election, the CIA and other US agencies may interfere and help them to victory. Szőcs concludes by suggesting that US government agencies under President Biden and liberal media may launch a coordinated attack to weaken the Hungarian governing party.

Heti Világgazdaság ridicules the suggestion that foreign actors may meddle in the Hungarian elections to help the opposition to power. The liberal weekly contends that the government wants to brush off any foreign criticism by framing it as illegitimate interference in Hungarian national business. Heti Világgazdaság also accuses Fidesz of trying to create a network of right-wing conservatives, including Brazilian President Bolsonaro, former US President Trump and the Conservative Political Action Conference in the US, as symbolic resources in the election campaign. The weekly adds that the government even tried to frame French President Macron’s recent visit to suggest that he is supportive of Prime Minister Orbán. The opposition parties have no resources to create such a network of foreign supporters, the liberal weekly concludes.

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