Authors

Discussion

In the digital age, historical narratives are no longer shaped solely by political elites or state institutions; they are increasingly produced, circulated, and contested across digital platforms. This paper examines how collective memory and historical legitimacy are negotiated in Hungary’s polarised media environment, combining multimodal critical discourse analysis with ethnographic fieldwork conducted during national commemorations such as the 1956 October 23 Hungarian Uprising. Hungary provides a particularly compelling case for studying memory politics in the digital era, given its highly politicised commemorative culture and the government’s sustained efforts to monopolise historical interpretation through official media and public rituals.

The analysis focuses on how key political figures - Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of the ruling Fidesz party and Péter Magyar, leader of the newly formed opposition party, TISZA - use memory politics to construct competing interpretations of the nation’s past. Specifically, the paper explores the dynamic interaction between two distinct memory regimes. The first is Fidesz’s centralised, state-led attempt to control historical meaning through institutional means. The second is TISZA’s emerging strategy, which uses digital media, national symbols, and alternative commemorative practices to promote different visions of Hungarian identity.

Data are drawn from the March 15 and October 23 commemorations, focusing on live-streamed speeches by Orbán and Magyar, as well as audience responses in associated online comment sections. These data illuminate how digital platforms mediate public engagement and shape discourse surrounding collective memory. Beyond their commemorative purpose, such national holidays have become key arenas for political performance and competition. They offer opportunities for political actors to articulate ideological positions, demonstrate legitimacy, and appeal to citizens’ emotions. In this way, commemorations function not only as rituals of remembrance but also as pivotal moments within Hungary’s broader political calendar, where parties seek to present themselves as the authentic heirs of the nation’s historical legacy.

The presentation will focus on preliminary findings from the October 23 fieldwork and a review of relevant literature on digital memory, mediatised commemoration, and political communication in contemporary Hungary.