For the third episode of Budapest, I spoke to Péter Krekó, director of the Political Capital Institute and one of Hungary's leading experts on disinformation, working in partnership with the European Digital Media Observatory. As a behavioral and political scientist as well as a disinformation expert, in this episode he takes us into the nuances of a regime that can be considered hybrid.

Since 2010, Viktor Orbán and Fidesz have transformed Hungary into a hybrid regime by reshaping institutions and consolidating control over the media. Rather than relying on open repression, the government built an "informational autocracy," manipulating the media landscape to tilt the electoral playing field.

Hungary is heading toward its 2026 elections: will the government change, and with it its relationship with the European Union?

In this episode:

• The Orbán model: from 2010 to the current hybrid regime
• Who is still supporting Viktor Orbán
• How media pluralism shapes democracy
• Hungary and its membership in the European Union
• The relationship between Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orbán

With reason, not rage.

Timestamps:

• 1:15 — What is your Budapest? 
• 4:30 — Not Just a Common Election: The Rise of Orbán in 2010
• 7:15 — How Orbán Captured the Media
• 11:10 — Has Hungary Given Up on Democracy? 
• 20:40 — What an Orbán Voter Looks Like
• 25:25 — How an Independent European Think Tank Can Survive in a Hybrid Regime 
• 31:15 — An Ambiguous Triangle: EU, Hungary and Italy 
• 35:00 — The Peacock Dance
• 40:00 — Giorgia Meloni Seen from Budapest" 
• 50:18 — Democracy Needs Pluralist Media

Author and host: Ivan Scalfarotto

Editor and social media: Ludovica Taurisano

Graphic designer: Paola De Bartolo

Visual identity: Martina Santurri

Sound designer: Enrico Cabua