"Club of fighters"

Orbán founded secret “online army” ahead of elections

Viktor Orbán(Bild: APA/AP)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has recruited a secret "online army" under the name "Fighting Club". The members of this club, whose Hungarian name is reminiscent of the title of the US thriller "Fight Club", are part of a Facebook campaign called "400Days".

According to Orbán, the online portal "Index.hu" quoted a member of the club, which is said to already have several thousand members, as saying that there are still around 400 days until the parliamentary elections in spring 2026, the date of which has not yet been set. They would receive their tasks personally from Orbán every day. The prime minister had already informed the members in a non-public YouTube video on Sunday.

A request from the portal, which is considered to be close to the government, to the government's information center regarding details of the campaign has so far remained unanswered. Orbán had already declared in February that "battles can only be won with sleeves rolled up". And to win, you need fighters, the portal quoted the prime minister as saying.

Orbán and his Fidesz party have had opposition politician Péter Magyar breathing down their necks as a new challenger since last year. In opinion polls, his TISZA party has been slightly ahead of the ruling party, which has held a two-thirds majority almost without interruption since 2010. Magyar has once again announced a major demonstration in Budapest for the national holiday next Saturday (March 15).