Hungarian government propaganda likens Zelenský to Hitler, fideszák website calls Slovakia a warrior
While the Hungarian government cautiously but still supports the EU-NATO common position on the Russian war in Ukraine, the Hungarian pro-media media is also spreading pro-Russian propaganda.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, public television has invited experts who have defended Orbán’s anti-migration policy in their programs and now often accentuate the West and Ukraine’s responsibility for the war. Their opinions also reach the Hungarians in Slovakia: for example, the Alliance page on their Facebook also spreads them.
Orbán’s model of public law
Hungarian public service media have long been sharply criticized for their biased reporting, in which they openly support the government of Fidesz and do not give room to opposition leaders. Report of the szabadeuropa.hu portal in December 2020, it mapped in detail how public service television works: many sensitive topics or words (such as the word refugee) are banned;
After the Russian attack on Ukraine, Viktor Orbán’s government apparently got into trouble in reconciling its previous pro-Russian positions with the new situation. The Prime Minister and his closest people formulate their references very carefully, but there are also harsh statements in the public and other pro-government media.
Expert on aliens and Ukraine
Georg Spöttle comes from Germany, where he worked in the army and the police, but he has lived in Hungary for several decades and most importantly – after 2015 he became one of the most sought-after experts in the Orbán government. He is one of the most radical opponents of migration, starting in the 1990s as an “expert” on aliens. Spöttle regularly appears on Hungarian public television also in connection with the war in Ukraine, and he mainly stands by Russia.
After the outbreak of war praised “Peaceful” behavior of Russian soldiers who “do their job” in Ukraine without much resistance, while Ukrainians are dangerous because their president Volodymyr Zelensky distributes weapons to civilians. According to Spöttle, terrorists can also gain access to weapons and lead to attacks on civilians. In this context, Spöttle likens the Ukrainian president to Hitler, because