PACE concerned about pre-election climate in Hungary, including anti-Ukrainian propaganda
A delegation of observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed concern about the situation ahead of parliamentary elections in Hungary.
A cross-party PACE observer delegation visited Budapest on 30-31 March ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 April. It held meetings with representatives of the authorities, election administration, political parties, civil society, media and the diplomatic corps.
The delegation noted that the electoral process appears to be technically well prepared overall.
However, many sources pointed to a toxic climate characterised by the blurring of boundaries between the state and the ruling party, the widespread use of state and government resources in favour of one party, a distorted information space, propaganda, concerns about malign foreign interference and hostility towards independent civil society organisations.
"After our meetings in Budapest, one question cannot be avoided: is Hungary still a competitive democracy, or a state captured by one party? Voters must decide Hungary's future – not fear campaigns, not smear operations, not unequal rules and not foreign manipulation," said delegation head Pablo Hispán.
The delegation was particularly concerned by repeated reports of aggressive and misleading campaign messaging, including persistent anti-Ukrainian and anti-European propaganda and crude "war or peace" rhetoric aimed at stigmatising opponents rather than enabling an informed democratic choice.
Members of the delegation also heard serious concerns about the overall integrity of the electoral environment, including a prolonged state of emergency, shortcomings in legal remedies, the misuse of state resources, data and institutions for party purposes, and serious allegations of voter bribery and intimidation.
Concerns were also raised about the independence of the judiciary handling electoral disputes, uneven media coverage of political parties, and a media landscape in which many voters have only limited access to pluralistic and independent information.
Another major issue highlighted during the visit was the shrinking space for independent journalism, oversight and accountability.
Read more: Bad news for Orbán: how several media outlets could determine the outcome of elections in Hungary