Schmidt Mária says broadband internet helped cause Fidesz's 2026 loss

Historian Schmidt Mária, director of the Terror Háza Museum, told Mandiner that the governing Fidesz party’s defeat in the 2026 Hungarian election was driven not only by voter fatigue and over‑confidence but also by the country’s near‑universal broadband internet access and the proliferation of smartphones. She argued that the digital environment, amplified by artificial‑intelligence tools, reshaped how political information spreads, rendering traditional campaign tactics ineffective.

Mária also reflected on the museum’s mission to document totalitarian regimes and noted recent government decisions affecting its funding and governance. Her comments link the changing media landscape to broader shifts in Hungarian public life and political accountability.