Democracy Digest: Orban Says West Under Attack From ‘Progressive Biological Virus’ – Balkan Insight
Orban reiterated his governments narrative that Hungary was in chaos before he took over in 2010. He paid a backhanded tribute to George Soros, saying that if the Hungarian-born US billionaire had not launched his migration program, we would never have made it into the headlines. He called all progressive causes gender ideology, pro-migration, wokeness a biological virus that undermines the nation state, and if the nation state is defeated, the West will go under. Orban called the foreign policy of the US Democrats part of this virus that is leading us into war, omitting to mention it was Russia that invaded Ukraine. Finally, he advised his fellow politicians in attendance among them former Czech PM Andrej Babis and Slovenias Janez Jansa that if they want to win elections, they need to put this slogan on their flags: No migration, no gender, no war. He urged participants to take back the liberal strongholds of Brussels and Washington, hoping for Trumps return to the White House and a far-right victory in the European elections in 2024.
Elsewhere in Hungary, protests in Budapest demanding better pay for teachers and a 21st-century education system that includes an Education Ministry not part of the Interior Ministry turned violent on Wednesday evening when students clashed with police in front of Orbans office in the Castle District. The PMs office has been cordoned off for months, purportedly due to construction work in the vicinity. Opposition politicians have several times tried to pull down the barricades, which they argue obstructs the media from putting any questions to politicians arriving to see the PM. Journalists are also blocked off from government politicians at the parliament. The students began their protest on Wednesday in downtown Budapest, ending their march in front of the PMs office up in the Castle Hill. They brought along whipped cream sprays to hand to police as child protection sprays, urging them to use those instead of tear gas. The police were not amused. When the students started to remove the cordons, they replied with tear gas and batons. One student beaten up was barely 16 years old, the media reported. The opposition Momentum partys deputy leader was handcuffed and held in custody for hours. This was the most violent clash since last years election. The pro-government media dismissed the protests as organised by far-left activists.
The three-day visit of Pope Francis appeared to meet all expectations in Hungary, as both those who are pro-government and those who are critical found the messages delivered by the head of the Catholic Church positive and reassuring. Orbans activity on social media hit record highs as he introduced his populous family to the pope and posted family photos with him, although stealing the slogan of the LGBT community family is family caused uproar, given it trended as a line for criticising his governments restrictive family policies that practically banned adoption for same-sex couples. The government rolled out its disingenuous peace narrative, underlining that the Vatican and Hungary are the only two countries in Europe advocating for peace in Ukraine. It also welcomed Franciss praising of its family policies and condemning gender ideology in his speech. The other side, however, highlighted how the pope urged people to open their doors to migrants and the poor. The pope also found time to meet Metropolitan (bishop) Hilarion, a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Budapest, with whom he discussed peace and offered help in the repatriation of Ukrainian children.
See the original post:
Democracy Digest: Orban Says West Under Attack From 'Progressive Biological Virus' - Balkan Insight
- Five alarm fire for democracy: Dems, voting advocates voice outrage at FBI raid of Georgia elections office - Democracy Docket - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Democracy on ICE? The mood turns in America - The Economist - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- When Covering the News Becomes a Crime, Democracy Loses - GV Wire - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Readers Write: Democracy, the Second Amendment, ICE shooting videos - Star Tribune - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Deadly democracy: Lethal political violence in Brazil - Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Making Democracy Interesting: Tips from TV, Podcasts, Science Fiction, and Online Creators - Ash Center - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- New GOP anti-voting bill may be the most dangerous attack on voting rights ever - Democracy Docket - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- KU will host a two-year series of seminars on democracy, academic freedom - Lawrence Journal-World - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Capacity-Building Program: Latinos, Media, and Democracy - The AI Edition 2026 - Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA) - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- In major rebuke, federal judge blocks key parts of Trumps anti-voting order - Democracy Docket - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Political Influencers and Democracy in the Digital Age - - Center for Democracy and Technology - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- FBIs Fulton County raid may have been illegal, legal experts warn. But it definitely raises fears for 2026 - Democracy Docket - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Democracy In The Age Of Disinformation And Digital Capitalism OpEd - Eurasia Review - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Shoring up the Balkans: NATO infrastructure and a warning for democracy - New Eastern Europe - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Can The iPhone Save Our Democracy? - The Weekly Dish | Andrew Sullivan - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- The Long-Term Futures Work of Building a Better Democracy - Nonprofit Quarterly - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Common Faith with Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: Amy Spitalnick on Jewish Safety, Democracy, and the Work of JCPA - Jewish Council for Public Affairs - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Lucy Lang on protecting the fabric of democracy as state inspector general - City & State New York - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Saving democracy isnt enoughwe need to upgrade it | PennLive letters - PennLive.com - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Mills unveils housing plan, pledges to defend democracy with everything I have - Mainebiz - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Philosophy, Academic Freedom and the Health of Democracy - seattlespectator.com - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Antisemitism, Unions, and the Fight for American Democracy Today - Jewish Council for Public Affairs - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Op-ed: To understand the future of EU democracy, look at how I got elected - The Parliament Magazine - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- UD Food and Culture Festival organizer: Food and humanities 'necessary for a thriving democracy' - WYSO - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Domestic Terrorism in Plain Sight: White Supremacy, State Violence, and the Assault on Democracy - CounterPunch.org - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Checks and Balances, Democracy, and the "Noble Dream" of Constitutionalism - democracyproject.org - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Parliamentary Assembly calls for young people to be equal partners in European democracy - Council of Europe - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- AI Armies That Never Sleep Are Faking Grassroots Movements, Threatening Democracy - Study Finds - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- [Column] American democracy is dying, and masked agents are killing it - - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- The history behind WAs Temple of Justice, a monument to democracy - The Seattle Times - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Can the private sector help safeguard democracy? The answer is yes - Devex - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Bill Clinton Issues Warning on American Democracy: Read in Full - Newsweek - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Federalism and Democracy - democracyproject.org - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- CDT Responds to Violence in Minnesota - - Center for Democracy and Technology - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Confusion Is Now a Political Strategy And Its Quietly Eroding American Democracy - The Fulcrum - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- ICE Out: Tens of Thousands March in Minnesota in General Strike Against Immigration Raids - Democracy Now! - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- This week at Democracy Docket: DOGE, True the Vote, and blackmailing Minnesota - Democracy Docket - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- We The People v Trump with Democracy Forward's Skye Perryman - Interfaith Alliance - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- The Russians Within Us: Between The Myth Of Foreign Infiltration And The Reality Of Internal Capture; Anatomy Of An Imperfect Democracy Romania (Part... - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- We dont have a functional democracy An Interview with Dr Eoin Lenihan, Part III - Hungarian Conservative - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Syria's future must be shaped by its people through democracy: Turkish parliament speaker - Anadolu Ajans - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Uganda: Democracy in Name Only - Global Issues.org - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Statement on Behalf of Business Leaders for Democracy on the Passing of Betsy Brenner - urbanmilwaukee.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Why the Pittsburgh Post-Gazettes closure exposes a growing threat to democracy - The Conversation - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Journey to American Democracy: The Battle of the Bulge - Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Daily Herald opinion: Democracy in action: Training teens as election judges and encouraging them to vote is a vital mission - Daily Herald - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- AI and Democracy: Mapping the Intersections - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Beyond the Fog of War: Venezuelas Democracy is at Stake - Fair Observer - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- ICEs Deadly Force is a Threat to Our Democracy - American Constitution Society - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Opinion | The dark day democracy almost died - The Cap Times - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Trusting News organization to receive 2026 Brown Democracy Medal - Penn State University - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- This Is Our Hemisphere: Report from Colombia on Trumps Escalating Threats to the Region - Democracy Now! - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- S&Ds stand in solidarity with Iranians demanding freedom and democracy - Socialists and Democrats - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- After Trumps attack, we Venezuelans need to know what comes next authoritarianism or democracy | Jess Piero - The Guardian - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- 4 pivotal elections around the world that will pose a test to democracy in 2026 - The Conversation - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Appointed board for Indy schools threatens democracy | Opinion - IndyStar - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- PAs Abbas declares 2026 will be the year of Palestinian democracy - The Times of Israel - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Trump, Venezuela, and the threat to the 2026 elections - Democracy Docket - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- How new USPS rules put the right to vote at risk - Democracy Docket - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Senator Kim Demands We Find the Courage to Heal Our Country, Warns that Our Democracy is More Fragile than during the January 6 Insurrection Five... - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- How AI and misinformation are posing a threat to democracy in Yorkshire - BBC - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Democracy didnt break overnight2026 will reveal if Memphis lets it die - Tennessee Lookout - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Opinion | If Trump Doesnt Bring Democracy Into Venezuela, Hell Never Get Much Oil Out of It - The New York Times - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Commentary: Five long years since the assault on American Democracy The insurrection led by an incumbent President, and the wounding of our democracy... - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- RELEASE: Statement on the Anniversary of the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol from the Inclusive Democracy Caucus Co-Chairs - MN House of... - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Less than 1% of Epstein files have been released, DOJ admits - Democracy Docket - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Trump chose not to restore democracy in Venezuela, with the opposition's Nobel winner in hiding and much of the opposition in prison - Fortune - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Fair voting maps arent favors, theyre the foundation of democracy: op-ed - AL.com - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Democracy Begins with You: Preparing for the 2026 Elections - Miami's Community News - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- The Trump administration is building a national voter roll, former DOJ lawyers warn - Democracy Docket - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Local Venezuelans wrestle with what US taking Maduro means for democracy and socialism - GBH - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- GOP senators threaten to impeach judges who rule against Trump - Democracy Docket - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- In Miami-Dade, Republicans say democracy is coming to Venezuela but not immediately - News From The States - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Five years on from January 6th, Congress must protect against President Trumps attacks on democracy - Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in... - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Donald Trump's greed is a threat to American democracy - Wisconsin State Journal - January 8th, 2026 [January 8th, 2026]
- Peace and prosperity in Venezuela will come from democracy, not oil, writes Ricardo Hausmann - The Economist - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- January 6th Five Years On: Our Democracy Crisis Persists - Insider NJ - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- Local democracy is strong, but rural Michigan communities are falling behind, new survey shows - Michigan Advance - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- The military is the last safeguard of democracy. Is Donald Trump bending it to his will? - The Conversation - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]
- What Must Be Done To Bring Back Venezuelas Democracy And Economy - Forbes - January 6th, 2026 [January 6th, 2026]