Digital Warriors: Orban's Social Media Campaign Amidst New Ad Restrictions

Istvan Hollo, a 76-year-old enthusiast of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, dedicates up to an hour daily on Facebook to support the right-wing leader's political messages. This activity is a bid to bolster Orban's chances in the April 12 parliamentary elections.

In March, Orban initiated a '40-day digital challenge,' inspiring grassroots supporters to engage on social media for at least 10 minutes each day. This move aims to counteract the strong online presence of rival Peter Magyar from the center-right Tisza party, which currently leads in opinion polls.

'Digital fighters' is the new strategy after EU regulations halted political advertising. This forces Fidesz to rely on trained activists and influencers, in addition to artificial intelligence tools for digital content creation. The effectiveness of this approach in adapting to advertising bans in Europe remains untested.