Talk & Q&A hosted by Disruption Network Lab
In cooperation with neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst

With: Péter Adamik and Sára Szedlár (Freie Ungarische Botschaft, Berlin-Budapest).

This talk and Q&A will focus on understanding how an illiberal democracy in the middle of the EU has been successfully existing for the last fifteen years and how propaganda is an important tool within it. Hungary has been an autocracy learning-lab and the system Orbán is often being referred to as a role model for other leaders and parties of the far right-populist scene, like German AfD. Two activists from Berlin based Hungarian expat organization Freie Ungarische Botschaft will give an overview how the government of Viktor Orbán has built up its power machinery and share some impressions of its successful exhibition “Illiberal Realities - If you come to Hungary…” in which propaganda billboards from Hungarian streets are reconstructed, translated and contextualized. Is there a way out of such a system? What are the chances that the 2026 parliamentary elections would change something in Hungary – and for its European alliances?

The Freie Ungarische Botschaft (Free Hungarian Embassy) is a spontaneously organised group of Hungarian-European citizens living in Berlin, who think it is time that the EU’s institutions and leaders step up actively in protection of the Union’s common future, against the anti-democratic pursuits of the autocratic Hungarian government. The mission of Freie Ungarische Botschaft is the restoration of rule of law and the creation of a solidary society in Hungary from abroad. The organisation treats diversity in its own work as a value, and represents responsibility, critical thinking, democracy and solidarity. The group operates on a voluntary and independent basis which is working on a number of projects that will be shared during the meetup as possible case studies.

Born and raised in Budapest, Péter moved to Berlin in 2019 where he instantly joined Freie Ungarische Botschaft. He studied Scandinavian literature and Cultures and has a Masters Degree from the Freiburg University. Currently a Project Manager at the Foundation for Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (known in German as „EVZ“), he focuses on Events, Networks and Political Communication at the foundation that supports CSOs in Eastern Europe with a special focus on remembering the German National Socialist persecution and its consequences for today’s political-educational context and work for human rights and international exchange. Sara’s origins are in Yugoslavia, where she was born as a member of the Hungarian minority in Serbia. She was already confronted with the escalation of illiberal and fascist systems in her childhood, which manifested itself in wars, asylum and also expulsion. She has lived in Berlin since 2016 and has worked in a variety of fields. In recent years, she has worked for organisations that campaign for migration and integration, such as the Initiative Selbständiger Immigrantinnen e. V. and the Integration Center of Refugees and Migrants e. V., gaining experience in public relations and project management. Since the beginning of March, she has been supporting the Freie Ungarische Botschaft e. V. as Content Manager.

More info: https://www.disruptionlab.org/event/illiberal-realities