Hungary’s Election Heats Up as AI-Generated Video Sparks Outrage

The Hungarian election campaign, leading up to the vote on April 12th, has taken a contentious turn with the circulation of an AI-generated video by the ruling Fidesz party. The video, depicting a soldier’s death and its impact on his family, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leader Péter Magyar, who has called for its removal.

Fidesz Video and Magyar’s Response

Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party shared the 33-second video on its Budapest Facebook page. The video portrays a young girl waiting for her father, with dialogue referencing the horrors of war. It culminates in a scene of a soldier being shot, and his daughter’s photograph ending up in the mud. The post warns against the risks of war and positions Fidesz as the “safe choice,” linking the potential for conflict to the European Union (“Brussels”).

Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza Party, strongly condemned the video, stating on Facebook that Fidesz was “trampling into the ground the most basic human and ethical norms.” He described the video as “disgusting, unforgivable and deeply outrageous.”

Exploiting Fears of War

Fidesz has been leveraging anxieties surrounding the war in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022 [1]. The government frequently accuses the EU of escalating the conflict and seeking to involve Europe in the war. Recently, concerns have also been raised regarding a potential attack on Hungary by Ukraine.

Péter Magyar: A Rising Political Force

Péter Magyar, born on March 16, 1981 [1], is a Hungarian politician and the president of the Tisza Party. He is considered a primary challenger to Viktor Orbán in the upcoming 2026 parliamentary elections [1] and [2]. Magyar previously served as a member of the European Parliament and was formerly affiliated with Fidesz. He gained public attention after resigning from government positions in February 2024 following a presidential pardon scandal [1].

Recent Developments

Recent reports indicate that Péter Magyar suspects a plot to release a compromising sex tape from August 2024 [3]. This accusation adds another layer of complexity to the already heated election campaign.

The Economist reported on January 29, 2026, that Magyar is polling ahead of Orbán, marking a potential shift in Hungarian politics [4].