In last month’s ‘State of the Nation’ address in Budapest, an isolated Viktor Orbán outlined a strategy to ramp up his anti-EU disinformation campaign. European institutions must find a way to fight back.

During the speech, prime minister Orbán had a rare moment of honesty. He admitted that when it comes to Europe’s position on the Ukraine war he now stands alone.

He lamented how even Germany joined those who stand “on the side of the war,” adding that they “did not go from their own will,” and dropped a nasty insult equating the Federal Republic to Nazi Germany (musing that “they may still have the old maps”).

Orbán is correct: he is the sole EU leader who openly stands with Vladimir Putin. However, he fails to see that Putin is the aggressor, not the victim.

Completely isolated on the issue of the actual war ‒ Orbán is desperate to improve his international standing by pivoting to the culture war. And that means doubling down on an anti-EU disinformation campaign, based on Putin’s playbook.

In his speech, Orbán once again conflated the LGBTQ+ community with paedophiles, and implied that Brussels was siding with child abusers: “We do not care what repulsive aberrations some people indulge in. We do not care how Brussels excuses and explains the inexcusable.”

We are yet to hear anyone from the European Commission reply to these accusations.