How Orban uses Russian operations in Europe for attacks inside Hungary

January 23, 2025 can enter the history of Hungary as the day when a mere fraud horrors the nation. In a series of emails « Muslim terrorist » threatened to unleash the « anger of the suppressed », causing panic throughout the country and leading to evacuation in 300 schools and many other buildings, subsequently checked for explosives.

The threat was part of a coordinated panic operation to instill panic and disturbance (ed. Such cases have been reported in France, Germany and Spain, among other EU Member States, with warnings aimed not only at schools but also to courts, prosecutors and shopping centers.

The Kremlin has long used conspiracy theories as an instrument of influence. Fraud even play a direct role in his strategy. By inventing an « Islamist » threat, he nourishes the far -right, anti -migration currents throughout Europe, affecting public opinion, discrediting his political opponents and diverting attention from Ukraine.

For Orban, fraud was politically useful. Instead of considering it as a security problem, the government uses what happened to transfer the blame for the economic problems of Hungary, the failure in public services and corruption scandals on its usual external opponents – the EU, migrants and foreign conspiracies.

In Central and Eastern Europe, these events are usually followed by an immediate investigation into national security and the commitment to be held responsible. After such a campaign in the Czech Republic, the secret services cited Russian intelligence services as perpetrators. In Bulgaria, the authorities have come to a similar conclusion.

The scale of such attacks, especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shows that « foreign intervention and manipulation of information » is becoming an increasing challenge for the security of the 27 EU Member States.

Schools have been selected as strategic goals because of the significant effect of disturbance. The threat of the bomb affects students, their families, and other people, and forces the authorities to react quickly to guarantee the safety of children. This requires a significant state resource.

The events of January 23 are unusual because they are aimed at the Kremlin ally, but the Orban team did not miss them as an opportunity.

While schools across the country were still searching for explosive devices, Foreign Minister Peter Siarto called the threats « a direct consequence of migration policies that » Brussels and Western European countries have been applying for almost ten years.  » He has established support for the law of the government « Stop Soros, » which is illegitimate because it criminalizes legal migration.

At the same time, the government propaganda machine turns against internal political opponents. One of the main targets is « Respect and Freedom » (Tisa), led by Peter Madiaar, former husband of former Justice Minister Judith Varga.

Under the leadership of Madiaar, Tisa raised support and even won 30% of the vote in the European Parliament elections in June. He has been displacing Orban's Fideson as a leader in public opinion studies for several months. The state -controlled media spend enormous resources to present Madiaar as mentally unstable and dangerous.

The misinformation campaign organized by the Hungarian state has a long history, with one of its most famous elements being the theory of « Great Replacement ». For more than a decade, Orban's Fides Party has argued that international philanthropist George Soros and the EU are planning to replace Europe's population with Muslim migrants. The government uses these allegations to justify repression against non -governmental organizations and independent media under the guise of the defense of « sovereignty ».

The Sovereignty Protection Service has launched an investigation into the US Agency for International Development (USAID), claiming that the organization is part of a « broader effort to exercise political influence ». This nourishes the conspiracy theory that the funding model has been reproduced in Brussels by Jewish billionaire George Soros and its organizations.

Ukraine came under fire again. The Hungarian government has circulated slander that Ukraine is funding Direkt36, an investigative media that has recently released a documentary on Orban's huge wealth accumulated through systemic corruption. The pro -government newspaper Magyar Nemzet and media close to the prime minister claim that the « Ukrainian secret services » are conducting a campaign to overthrow Orban.

Since Trump is already president of the United States, Orban cannot accuse the Democrats of « funding foreign agents in Hungary. » He had to find a « new threat to national sovereignty » to fit the campaign against President Zelenski, mercilessly represented by Hungarian propaganda media with absurd terms such as « Clown. » They even blame him for Putin's genocidal war in Ukraine.

Russia's role in the false « terrorist » emails and Fidesz's answer raise serious questions about cooperation. The Kremlin already has a wide network of activists in Hungary, including the far -right party « Our Hazánk Mozgalom » and pro -Russian marginal media.

In particular, cooperation with Orban led to the exchange and distribution of strategies. The Eurosceptic and Pro-Cresalel views and misinformation supported by Russia may become even more outlined by the Hungary elections approaching in 2026. Despite growing internal problems, pro-Russian misinformation can significantly help Orban win these elections.

The EU has opposed Orban in recent years, including by stopping structural funds, but more decisive action is needed.

The scope, scale and complexity of foreign intervention and manipulation of information continue to grow. Dealing with it must become a priority for the European Union in order to oppose the corrosive Russian influence and the destructive power of Orban and to preserve democracy in the era of an unprecedented instability for decades.

The article was first published in English on the Visegrad Insight platform.