Why is Ukraine plastered across Hungary’s billboards and campaign ads as if it were on the ballot itself? And what does Viktor Orbán really gain from keeping Volodymyr Zelensky in the minds, hearts and social media algorithms of Hungarians?
In this episode of the Visegrad Insight Podcast, Wojciech Przybylski speaks with Viktória Serdült, journalist at HVG in Budapest, about how Ukraine became the central prop of Hungary’s permanent election campaign.
Together they discuss:
- How the ‘pro-war / pro-peace’ propaganda line turned into a full-blown anti-Ukraine campaign in Hungary
- Why Zelensky, Ursula von der Leyen and Péter Magyar are glued together on Fidesz billboards as the alleged ‘pro-war’ trio
- What ordinary Hungarians actually think about the war and Ukraine’s EU membership, beyond government messaging
- The role of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine and long-term mistrust in shaping public opinion
- How agriculture, gas transit and EU funds quietly sit behind the slogans about peace and sovereignty
- Why Russia is barely mentioned in Budapest’s rhetoric about a war that Moscow started
- What to watch in 2025–2026 as Hungary heads into yet another high-stakes electoral cycle with Ukraine at the centre
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jdmBOuqQgLw
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6DjmhfAz6U2y4zOqa9zQ5u?si=z-nh1ZYNQj6dtGUp1V3Kbg
