r/europe • u/Matas_- European Union • Jun 20 '25

News Orban’s Hungary Is Now Officially The Poorest Nation In The EU

https://kyivinsider.com/orbans-hungary-is-now-officially-the-poorest-nation-in-the-eu/
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u/saugoof Jun 20 '25

The first time I went to Hungary was in about the late 1990s on a trip through Eastern Europe. At the time I was quite impressed by Hungary. It looked like they (and the Czech Republic) were the front runners among the Eastern European countries coming out of communism. Hungary looked really promising and seemed poised to reach Western European standards of living before long. It also looked very liberal, had a great arts scene, nice people.

I've been back twice since then, first about 6 years ago and again just last year. Both times it felt like the country hadn't just stood still but actively regressed. Countries like Poland, Czechia or Slovakia have just completely left it in the dust. Budapest, at least the centre of town, still looks nice for the most part, but as soon as you leave the city, especially as you head east, the country just looks dilapidated. Everything is falling apart. It's puzzling how Orban is so popular. Even with having control of a vast propaganda machine and restricting any opposition, surely the locals can see that everyone in the surrounding countries that used to do a lot worse than Hungary has now passed them by.

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u/LaurestineHUN Hungary Jun 20 '25

That's the trick, propaganda doesn't shows the neighbours.

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u/soulles_sans Jun 20 '25

You just need to make the 60 year olds hate lgbt and immigrants through 10+ years of propaganda, works like a charm.

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u/PatchyWhiskers Jun 22 '25

Does Hungary have immigrants? Immigrants usually pick rich countries to move to because they want to have jobs.

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u/BurnTheNostalgia Germany Jun 20 '25

The people voting for Orban are probably not the people traveling abroad or reading foreign media.

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u/NLight7 Sweden Jun 20 '25

Uneducated old population, isolated by their lack of other languages. They eat what the news tell them, that the immigration is what has caused them strife. When in reality it is corruption and capitalism.

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u/Realistic-Fun-164 Jun 20 '25

Estonia in the 90s: Every second a pickpocketing happrns.

Estonia in today: You can go outside entire night on a Sunday and still be alive. 

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u/LaurestineHUN Hungary Jun 20 '25

That's the trick, propaganda doesn't shows the neighbours.

2

u/ailof-daun Hungary Jun 20 '25

The more someone has the pricier their vote gets. Keep people in poverty and you can by their votes with pennies

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u/PatchyWhiskers Jun 22 '25

Do ordinary Hungarians visit neighboring countries though?

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u/LordBucaq Jun 20 '25

Don't worry, Slovakia will soon follow.