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HATC SAMPLE EDITION:
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31st March, 2026
Documentary reports on widespread vote-buying
A new documentary presents through almost 60 interviews the Hungarian system of vote buying in which Fidesz wins an estimated 500,000 votes, primarily in the extremely poor villages of northern and eastern Hungary.
In the film, A szavazat ára (“The Price of a Vote”) produced by the DE Action Community, it is stated that Fidesz employs pimps and criminals because these people can exert pressure. In several settlements, drug dealers also participate in the mobilization.
The price of a vote ranges from a single dose of drugs to cash payments of Ft 10,000-20,000.
According to reports, the system is headed by the regional parliamentarians, who receive the money, which is distributed through local mayors, drug dealers, pimps or loan sharks. Those who co-ordinate vote buying in several settlements can receive millions of forints, while those responsible for one polling station receive Ft 35,000-70,000 forints, it is said.
“Assisted voting” is becoming increasingly common, where the voter requests assistance with voting as agreed, and is then escorted into the booth, even voting for him or her.
The essence of the system revealed in the film is not only to be able to mobilize people on election day, but also to punish those who are openly not Fidesz supporters. Several such families appear in the film, and they talk about how they were punished by not receiving firewood or public works jobs, or simply by having their electricity and water turned off, even though they have paid their bills.
The documentary can be viewed on YouTube.
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Sources regularly consulted, with abbreviations used in text: Népszabadság (N); Magyar Hírlap (MH); Világgazdaság (VG); Napi Gazdaság (NG); Magyar Nemzet (MN); Népszava (Nsz); Kossuth Rádió news (KR); nightly TV news (TV).
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