EU Election Campaigning in Hungary
EU election campaigning in Hungary commenced on Saturday, marking the start of outreach efforts by candidates for both municipal and European Parliament elections set for June 9th. The Fidesz party has decided to consolidate the dates to streamline expenses.
Challenges for the Opposition
Election experts point out that the opposition in Hungary faces significant challenges in promoting their campaigns due to the dominant media control exerted by the current government. This control limits their access to traditional media platforms and billboards.
Media Landscape and Campaign Infrastructure
Zoltán Tóth, an election expert, highlighted the situation where businesses aligned with Fidesz own much of the campaign infrastructure, making it difficult for opposition parties to utilize traditional media for their campaigns. While electronic media, especially social platforms, theoretically remain open, government advertising spending can influence this space.
Hungarian Prime Minister and Chairman of Fidesz party, Viktor Orban, officially launched the party’s campaign for the European Parliamentary and local elections at a rally.
Internationally, efforts are being made to ensure ethical conduct in the European Parliament elections across member states, with concerns raised in certain countries regarding the electoral process.
Tóth expressed disappointment over the lack of Hungarian parties signing an ethics code backed by parties from 12 countries. He also raised concerns about the centralisation of election judgments by the Hungarian Supreme Court, casting doubts on the restoration of the rule of law in Hungary.
He noted a shift towards online campaigning, with older generations embracing internet use influenced by younger family members.
Watch the full report above.
