Ami Fields-Meyer
🧵It’s crucial that Americans closely watch the next two weeks in Hungarian politics. Trump is really, really invested in making sure Orban wins the April 12 election. So are Bibi, Milei, Wilders, and AfD head Alice Weidel. They’ve all shown up to campaign. Vance likely going next week. 🧵🧵🧵
Mar 29 at 10:03pmWeb
Show threadAmi Fields-Meyer1d ago
They’re invested because of the “illiberal democracy” model of governance Orban’s championed: keep elections but let a powerful nationalist leader to steadily weaken courts, media and opposition in the name of protecting the nation. So a repudiation of Orban would make life harder for his wannabes.

The First Post-Reality Politic...
In Hungary, the First Post-Reality Political Campaign

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is waging cognitive warfare on a new scale.

The Atlantic
Show threadAmi Fields-Meyer1d ago
There’s a reason they’re sending political lifeboats. Anne Applebaum wrote this week that Orban’s campaign messaging, reliant on AI videos and fake storylines about nonexistent threats, is starting to collapse on itself. She says that it’s all feeling tired, with tactics that “belong to the past.”
Show threadAmi Fields-Meyer1d ago
But Applebaum also notes the very real possibility - expectation, even, among the Hungarian opposition - that a false-flag operation is coming. Of course. That’s what authoritarians do if normative politics (or whatever you’d call this kind of post-truth campaigning) aren’t working.
Show threadAmi Fields-Meyer1d ago
She recalls that Rubio, in a recent trip, offered support for Hungary “if you face things that threaten the stability of your country.” Pretty ominous. Create a threat, present yourself as the solution, remind people that you are willing to do the ugly things others won’t. This is no time to play.
Show threadAmi Fields-Meyer1d ago
I’m reminded of how Putin himself came to power - a story people forget: in 1999, as prime minister, Putin likely orchestrated apartment bombings - blamed on Chechens - to create public fear and present his thuggish persona as the antidote. It worked and helped pave his ascent to the presidency.

Two Decades On, Smoldering Que...
Two Decades On, Smoldering Questions About The Russian President's Vault To Power

RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
Show threadAmi Fields-Meyer1d ago
Orban is so important to Trump and his global alliance of thugs because he’s proof of concept not only for how far they can take their retrograde policy agenda, but also for how far nominally liberal societies will allow them to go to stay in power before rejecting them. Keep your eye on Hungary.