Hungary is set to follow the United States in a controversial move: designating Antifa as a terrorist organization. This announcement, delivered by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on state radio on September 19, 2025, came just one day after U.S. President Donald Trump revealed plans to label Antifa a "major terrorist organization" in the United States. The developments mark a rare instance of direct policy mimicry between the two leaders, both of whom have cultivated reputations as strongmen and ideological allies on the international stage.
Antifa, short for "anti-fascist," is not a traditional organization with a clear leadership structure or membership. Instead, it serves as an umbrella term for loosely affiliated far-left activists and groups who oppose fascism and neo-Nazis, especially at public demonstrations. As AP notes, Antifa is often described as more of an ideology than a cohesive group, though some adherents have adopted militant tactics.
Orbán, a right-wing populist who has held near-total power in Hungary for over 15 years, made his position clear: "Antifa is indeed a terrorist organization. In Hungary, too, the time has come for us to classify organizations such as Antifa as terrorist organizations, following the American model." According to Business Standard, Orbán expressed pleasure at Trump’s decision, stating he was "pleased" by the White House’s move and eager to replicate it in Hungary.
The timing and rationale behind Orbán’s announcement have raised eyebrows, especially given that antifascist groups rarely engage in political actions in Hungary. The country’s political landscape has been tightly controlled by Orbán’s Fidesz party for more than a decade and a half. Yet, as CNN reports, Orbán cited a high-profile 2023 incident in Budapest to justify the new policy direction.
The incident in question involved assaults by antifascist activists against several suspected participants in the annual far-right "Day of Honor" event in Hungary’s capital. Among those implicated was Italian activist Ilaria Salis, who was arrested and jailed in Hungary for over a year following the attacks. The case quickly escalated into a diplomatic dispute between Rome and Budapest over Salis’s treatment in detention. In May 2024, Salis was released to house arrest and subsequently won a seat in the European Parliament, granting her legal immunity from prosecution. Despite her new status, Hungary continues to demand her return to face trial, where prosecutors are seeking an 11-year sentence.
Orbán did not mince words regarding Salis’s release and her subsequent political ascent. As quoted by AP, he lamented, "Antifa had come to Hungary and beaten peaceful people in the street, some were beaten half to death, and then they became European members of parliament and from there lecture Hungary on the rule of law." Without naming Salis directly, Orbán expressed frustration that activists he views as violent can "go on to become MEPs, and from there they lecture Hungary on the rule of law," according to CNN.
The "Day of Honor," the event at the heart of the controversy, commemorates a failed attempt by Nazi German and Hungarian troops to break the Soviet siege of Budapest in 1945. The event remains contentious in Hungary and across Europe, with European lawmakers criticizing it as a "shameful display of Nazi banners, slogans and uniforms." In 2024, three Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) condemned the event for its associations with far-right ideology and historical revisionism.
While the move to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization is dramatic, its practical implications are uncertain. In the United States, Antifa’s decentralized nature and lack of formal structure mean that the group enjoys certain protections under the First Amendment, making enforcement of such a designation legally complex. As CNN points out, the U.S. State Department’s list of foreign terror organizations does not apply to domestic groups, and Antifa’s amorphous nature complicates matters further.
Hungary faces similar challenges. Antifa is not an active or organized force in the country, and political violence linked to antifascist groups is rare. Critics argue that Orbán’s announcement is less about addressing a real security threat and more about consolidating political power by targeting perceived enemies. Over his tenure, Orbán has repeatedly used rhetoric against outside influences and so-called "scapegoats," most notably billionaire philanthropist George Soros, whose Open Society Foundations were forced out of Hungary amid a campaign of vilification. This pattern, as CNN observes, has found resonance among some conservatives in the United States, with Trump himself suggesting that Soros be charged under federal racketeering laws for his alleged support of left-wing protests.
The political symbiosis between Trump and Orbán is not new. Orbán has been described as a champion of "illiberal democracy" and is often credited with inspiring some of Trump’s approaches to governance. Trump, in turn, has praised Orbán as a "very great leader" and "very strong man." The two leaders’ mutual admiration has shaped policy in both directions, with Orbán’s recent announcement serving as a vivid example of this transatlantic exchange.
Reactions to the moves in both countries have been sharply divided. Supporters of Orbán and Trump argue that labeling Antifa as a terrorist organization is a necessary step to combat political violence and restore order. They point to incidents like the 2023 Budapest assaults as evidence that militant activism poses a real threat to public safety. On the other hand, critics warn that such designations risk criminalizing dissent, undermining civil liberties, and targeting political opponents under the guise of national security. They argue that the focus on Antifa distracts from more pressing issues and serves primarily as a tool for consolidating power.
In Hungary, the designation is expected to have limited immediate impact, given the rarity of antifascist activism in the country. However, it sends a strong signal about the government’s priorities and its willingness to align closely with the policies of the Trump administration. For many observers, the development is emblematic of a broader trend toward illiberal governance and the use of legal mechanisms to silence or marginalize opposition voices.
As the dust settles, the fate of Ilaria Salis remains a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over the boundaries of protest, the meaning of justice, and the future of democracy in both Hungary and the United States. Whether the moves by Orbán and Trump will have lasting effects on the ground—or prove more symbolic than substantive—remains to be seen. For now, the story underscores how the politics of the moment can ripple across borders, drawing unlikely parallels and prompting difficult questions about the balance between security and freedom.
