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Original article published by CEDMO on 14 Apr, 2026
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On Sunday, April 12, Hungary held its parliamentary elections, while its media campaigns over the last few months have been characterized by unprecedented levels of disinformation, including the massive circulation of AI-generated videos and images, and deepfakes of political opponents. Experts warn that this onslaught of false and manipulated media, including content linked to Russian disinformation networks and domestic pro‑government actors, created an online environment of propaganda and confusion for Hungarian voters. Moreover, disinformation has long been a common feature of the country’s media and political landscape, including mainstream media, as noted by Lakmusz editor‑in‑chief Szilárd Teczár in a video published by EDMO.
The Rise of the AI Fake Profile Network
Primarily on Hungarian Facebook, a highly sophisticated network of about a hundred AI-generated profiles was active during the election. These fake personas, which portray various interests and relationships with fabricated photos, have systematically flooded social media with pro-government content. Furthermore, these accounts have been traced to a pro-Fidesz group called the Warriors’ Club.
This application of AI did also extend to political advertising, as is the case with pages like “Not our war”, which utilized AI-generated videos to incite fear about the war in Ukraine, exclusively targeting the electoral district of Justice Minister Bence Tuzson, who was running for re-election.
Circumvention of Meta’s Political Ad Ban
These groups, along with other political actors, have promulgated their messaging widely on social media platforms like Facebook, despite the strict ban on political advertising implemented by Meta. Investigations revealed that 14 Fidesz candidates ran 181 political ads in January, with 162 successfully bypassing Meta’s filters. Much of these ads ran in the first six weeks of 2026, in which 457 political ads, typically posted by anonymous facebook pages and utilizing AI videos, were viewed in key electoral districts throughout Hungary.
Russian Interference and Smear Campaigns
Russian-linked disinformation groups Storm-1516 and the Matryoshka bot network, have actively targeted Hungarian opposition figures. One such example is the case of Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, an opposition politician from the Tisza Party, in which an article was published on a fake news site claiming he was recruiting Hungarian soldiers for the Russian-Ukrainian war. Another article was published in which Ágnes Forsthoffer, vice president of the Tisza Party, was accused of being involved in Jeffery Epstein’s human trafficking network. Both accusations were proven false, and the publications were linked to Storm-1516.
Anti-Ukrainian Narratives remained Prominent up to Election Day
The Fidesz party had seemingly made Ukraine their newest enemy, heavily relying on portraying both the country and President Zelenskyy as adversarial to Hungary’s interests. Even Prime Minister Orbán falsely presented a Politico article on EU integration as a “Zelensky Plan” designed to topple his national government. Pro-Fidesz affiliated pages and actors have taken to this trend as well, spreading AI-generated images of Ukrainian insurgents threatening Hungary. One such image was that of a fake Ukrainian gold convoy, accompanied with images of the alleged arrest of Ukrainians. With each smear campaign from either Russians or pro-Fidesz Hungarians, the continued use of disinformation is projected to cause long-term division among Hungarians.
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Posted by: Nayara Güércio (Trilateral Research)