This is not an isolated act. Rather, it’s part of a broader authoritarian playbook — one that treats democracy, civil society and free speech as threats to be neutralized. For example, just last week, the regime also amended the constitution — for the 15th time in just as many years — to severely limit citizens’ freedom to peacefully protest, escalating its campaign against LGBTQ+ communities by effectively banning Pride marches. Leveraging a deeply problematic “Child Protection Act,” the regime now has carte blanche to criminalize assemblies it deems inappropriate, and use invasive surveillance technologies like facial recognition in its enforcement.
This sets a chilling precedent, as the freedom of assembly — a cornerstone of democracy — can now be indefinitely suspended to silence political opposition.
It also follows a series of wider developments, which indicate a pattern of rejecting international standards — particularly with respect to human rights. For instance, during a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month, Orbán declared his intention to pull Hungary out of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where it is a founding member.
The move was in apparent support of Netanyahu, who is subject to an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes. And while this development comes as no surprise, it provides significant evidence that Orbán is prepared to put political expediency over justice, and that his government considers international law optional when it conflicts with political alliances.
All this could spell trouble as we approach Hungary’s upcoming elections, which are slated for April 2026.
Despite having captured much of the state over the past 15 years, Orbán is currently trailing behind opponent Peter Magyar, who has mounted a campaign to “detoxify” Hungary’s political system and stamp out corruption. Formerly a part of the Fidesz family, Magyar’s justifiably harsh criticism of Orbán’s regime has unsurprisingly resulted in the sort of attacks and state-orchestrated smear campaigns I’ve been enduring for years. And more worryingly, there are now rumors that Orbán might try to jail him or block him from contesting the elections.
