Viktor Orban - Hungary - Fact and Bias

Factual Rating

RIGHT BIAS

These leaders are moderate to strongly biased toward conservative causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit reporting of information that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy.

Viktor Orban is currently the Prime Minister of Hungary. He is the founder and head of the far-right Fidesz Party. Prime Minister Orban promotes far-right policy positions regarding social issues and immigration. Therefore, we assign Victor Orban a Right Bias and Mixed factual rating due to the promotion of propaganda, conspiracy theories, and a failed fact check.

About Viktor Orban

Country: Hungary
Title: Prime Minister Viktor Orban (May 29, 2010)
Political Party: Fidesz
Political Alignment: Right-Wing Nationalist
Factual Rating: MIXED

Career

Re-elected as Prime Minister of Hungary in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Served as Prime Minister of Hungary (1998-2002)
Founded Fidesz, a right-wing political party in Hungary (1988)

Political Affiliation

Viktor Orban is a co-founder of the right-wing nationalist Fidesz political party in Hungary. The party’s platform promotes a nationalist agenda and restricts the rights of refugees and migrants, utilizing anti-Muslim sentiment as a key element of its political platform. Fidesz is also known for its anti-globalist stance. For example, Viktor Orban accused George Soros of having a secret plot to flood Hungary with migrants and undermines the country; Mr. Soros denied the conspiracy theory.

The party has also been criticized for undermining democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Hungary, including cracking down on civil society, taking control of the media, and the independence of the judiciary. Orban’s government has also limited the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and attacked civil society groups critical of his policies.

Some critics have described Orban’s approach to governance as authoritarian or dictatorial. Despite Hungary being a member of the European Union and NATO, Orban has been critical of the EU’s sanctions against Russia and has accused the EU of prolonging the war in Ukraine.

Reporters Without Borders notes that the concentration of media ownership in the hands of Fidesz allies has led to a lack of media diversity and a significant decline in press freedom in Hungary. Additionally, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) labeled Viktor Orban a “press freedom predator” for muzzling the media in Hungary.