Hungary's Orban vows crackdown on media, NGOs

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told a crowd of his supporters in Budapest on Saturday that he planned to crack down on politicians and journalists who receive funding from abroad.

Speaking at an event marking Hungary's national day, he said it was time to eliminate what he called a "shadow army" of NGOs, journalists, judges and politicians who he said were serving the interests of the EU and a "liberal American empire."

"After today's celebrations, comes the big Easter cleaning up as the bugs have survived the winter," Orban said. "We will eliminate the whole shadow army ... who have supported the empire for money, against their own country."

The right-wing populist, an ally of Donald Trump, has taken a tougher stance against foreign-funded media and NGOs since the US president's inauguration in January.

He has also welcomed recent steps taken by Washington to dismantle USAID, claiming the development agency was being used to fund liberal causes in Hungary and undermine his government.

Orban addressed a crowd in the capital on the 177th anniversary of the 1848/49 Hungarian RevolutionImage: Stringer/Anadolu/picture alliance

What measures could Orban take?

Last month, Orban announced plans to target foreign funding channeled to Hungarian media. His Fidesz party this week submitted constitutional changes that would allow the expulsion of Hungarian dual citizens if they are deemed to pose a threat to Hungary's sovereignty or national security.

Orban's party has also sought to target the LGBTQ+ community, saying the annual Budapest Pride event would be banned in public starting this year.

Orban has frequently clashed with the European Union. In his speech on Saturday, he reiterated his opposition to Ukraine joining the bloc and criticized Brussels for continuing to supply Kyiv with military aid in the war with Russia.

"The rulers of Europe decided that Ukraine must continue the war at all costs, and it will get a fast EU membership in exchange, using our money," he said. "We can only have one answer to that: a Union but without Ukraine."

Orban's most serious challenger is Peter Magyar (left), a former member of his Fidesz partyImage: Bernadett Szabo/REUTERS

Will Orban survive elections in 2026? 

Orban, who has ruled Hungary uninterrupted for 15 years, is currently facing pressure from an opposition movement led by moderate conservative and former Fidesz member Peter Magyar.

Magyar's upstart Tisza party planned to hold a demonstration in Budapest on Saturday, with tens of thousands of people expected to attend.

Independent opinion polls show Tisza neck-and-neck or even several points ahead of Fidesz, with the next general elections due in about one year's time. 

Magyar has built a strong following in a relatively short period of time by focusing on Hungary's cost-of-living crisis and what he describes as deep-seated corruption among ruling party elites.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah