After years of demonizing billionaire investor George Soros as a liberal threat, the Hungarian government and its media allies have found a new target: his son Alexander.
Media outlets loyal to nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stepped up attacks after Soros was announced to be passing control of his philanthropic empire to his 37-year-old son.
The 92-year-old billionaire has become a loathed figure on the international far right due to the activities of his foundation, the Open Society Foundations (OSF).
In Hungary, the government accused him of wanting to “flood Europe” with migrants because of the organization’s support of refugee rights organisations.
For their part, Budapest authorities have been accused of using anti-Semitic groups to attack the Hungarian-born Jewish philanthropist, portraying him as a shadowy and manipulative figure. The government has always denied such allegations.
The government has turned George Soros into something of an enemy to blame for everything from inflation to the country’s diplomatic isolation, says Peter Kreko, executive director of think tank Political Capital, which includes the OSF on its list of donors.
‘LGBTQIA+ Propaganda’
Orbán was one of the first to comment on Monday’s news (12). On Twitter, he posted a scene from the movie “The Godfather”, in which the protagonist kisses his son, accompanied by the text: “Soros 2.0”.
In a radio interview, the leader blames Alex Soros for the agreement reached last week by the interior ministers of the European Union (EU) on the reform of the asylum system.
The EU pact was reached because “Soros has handed over leadership of his empire to his son, who sets an even harder pace than he does,” Orbán said.
Press reactions were quick to arrive in a country where independent publications were marginalized and where anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric gained strength.
The Origo news site published photos of Alex next to a man described as his “life partner”.
“Apparently this is part of the Soros boy’s LGBTQIA+ propaganda,” the article said. “The images show them demonstrating their physical and emotional togetherness in a sometimes provocative way. They often hug and hold each other by the hand,” the publication continued.
Alexander Soros, who is usually discreet about his personal life, had already been the target of false information in 2018, when rumors circulated that he had participated in the Pride Parade in Budapest.
The photos that were published as evidence corresponded to someone else.
Analysis centers funded by Orbán also participate in this ecosystem.
Tamas Fritz of the Alapjogokert Kozpont institute, for example, echoed this suggestion and described the Soros son as a more radical person than his already criticized father.
‘Castle of Cards’
On social media, the pro-government influencer collective Megafon is dedicated to countering the tsunami of Open Society-funded content.
While it’s not clear how the group is funded, Megafon spends millions of euros on political ads on platforms like YouTube and Facebook.
One of its members, Daniel Deak, warned of this “rejuvenated force” that wants to “break the fatherland”.
Contacted by the AFP news agency, OSF said, through its spokeswoman Laura Silber, that it accepts “constructive criticism” but that “demonizing those who do not share your ideas is not an effective way to evolve a nation”.
“Alex, an ardent defender of human rights, democracy and a humane immigration policy, hopes that Hungary, the country of his father’s birth, can adopt these values,” he added.
For Peter Kreko, it was predictable that the rhetoric against Soros would not change with the rise of Alexander at the head of the OSF, who left Hungary due to pressure from the ultraconservative government.
“The government-built rhetorical house of cards rests on George Soros. Without him, everything would fall apart. So one would expect the rhetoric to continue even with Alex Soros taking center stage,” concluded Kreko.
