PM Viktor Orbán follows Trump and says Hungary will designate antifa a terrorist organisation

Published connected 19/09/2025 - 18:54 GMT+2 •Updated 19:01

Hungary will replicate a argumentation announced connected Thursday by US President Donald Trump and designate antifa a violent organisation, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said connected Friday.

Antifa, short for "anti-fascist," is an umbrella word for loosely affiliated far-left activists and groups that defy fascism, fascists and neo-Nazis, particularly astatine demonstrations.

It resembles much an ideology than an existent organisation, though immoderate person embraced militant tactics.

Orbán, a right-wing leader and beardown state of Trump, said successful comments to authorities power connected Friday that he was "pleased" by the White House announcement that it would designate antifa a "major violent organisation" successful nan United States.

"Antifa is so a violent organisation," Orbán said. "In Hungary, too, nan clip has travel for america to categorize organisations specified arsenic antifa arsenic violent organisations, pursuing nan American model."

It was unclear what prompted Orbán’s determination to make nan move.

Antifascist groups seldom prosecute successful governmental actions successful Hungary, wherever Orbán and his statement person held near-total powerfulness for much than 15 years.

Political violence

In his connection connected Friday, Orbán referenced a 2023 incident successful which antifascist activists engaged successful assaults against respective suspected participants successful an yearly far-right event in Budapest.

One of nan alleged assailants, Italian activist Ilaria Salis, was jailed successful Hungary for complete a twelvemonth pursuing nan assaults, resulting successful a negotiated conflict betwixt Rome and Budapest complete her curen successful detention.

Salis was released to location apprehension successful May 2024 earlier winning a spot successful nan European Parliament, arsenic a consequence of which she gained ineligible immunity.

Hungary continues to request that she beryllium returned to look trial, wherever prosecutors person sought an 11-year sentence.

On Friday, Orbán bemoaned Salis' release, saying antifa had "come to Hungary and beaten serene group successful nan street, immoderate were beaten half to death, and past they became European members of parliament and from location speech Hungary connected nan norm of law."