Evaluating the Information Landscape of the 2026 Hungary Parliamentary Elections:

Implications for Information Security in the United States and European Union

Trevor Hamilton

July 15, 2026

Over the course of two months, the National Security Policy Center’s 2026 summer intern cohort conducted research on critical national security issues on behalf of UVA’s National Security Data and Policy Institute (NSDPI). The group’s work culminated in individual white papers on topics approved by NSDPI supervisors. Graduate researcher Trevor Hamilton’s white paper, “Evaluating the Information Landscape of the 2026 Hungary Parliamentary Elections: Implications for Information Security in the United States and European Union,” evaluates the efficacy of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s disinformation strategy in 2026.

Executive Summary

While the landslide victory of Péter Magyar and the new center-right party Tisza in Hungary’s 2026 parliamentary elections was a massive upset, it was also the direct result of the rapidly changing information landscape of the 2020s. Leading up to the election, incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his party Fidesz doubled down on their long-standing strategy, relying on strict control of traditional news outlets to shift public opinion in its favor. Magyar and Tisza, however, utilized social media and virality to spread its anti-establishment messaging. Despite comprehensive disinformation and propaganda campaigns disseminated by Fidesz and backed by Russia, Magyar’s strategy claimed a decisive victory.

Using data from the European Social Survey Rounds 5-11, this study examines whether Orbán’s disinformation strategy was successful, softening what would have been a landslide loss either way, or a failure, losing an election he could have won with a different approach. The data shows that anti-establishment sentiments were growing among Hungarians who use the internet, even before the emergence of Magyar and Tisza. It concludes that Orbán’s neglect of social media platforms in favor of traditional news media made his propaganda efforts a complete failure. For policymakers, this election provides a case where the internet worked in favor of democracy rather than against it. Its final recommendation is that policymakers avoid seeking strict control of online spaces, but rather adequately prepare their citizens to navigate the modern information landscape and spot disinformation independently.

Research Placemat: