Pro-Ukrainian politics pays well! István Kapitány has become richer by 800 million forints.
Did everyone see it? István Kapitány, a man of Péter Magyar from SEL, has become richer by 800 million forints. Because of the Ukrainian oil blockade, thanks to Zelensky, and the Iranian crisis, the value of SEL’s share package has increased by 800 million forints.
🎭 Propaganda and Influence Techniques in Balázs’s Message
The text is a political attack message that uses an economic fact (an increase in share value) to build a political narrative. It combines several classic propaganda and rhetorical techniques in order to provoke outrage and distrust in the reader.
Below are the most important techniques, listed in points.
1️⃣ Creating an Enemy Image (Othering)
Excerpt:
“Pro-Ukrainian politics pays well!”
Technique:
👉 Othering / political labeling
Goal:
To portray the political opponent as serving a foreign interest (Ukraine).
Effect:
The reader may form the impression that:
➡️ “they do not represent Hungarian interests.”
This can trigger strong emotional rejection.
2️⃣ Scapegoating
Excerpt:
“the Ukrainian oil blockade… thanks to Zelensky”
Technique:
👉 Simple scapegoating
Goal:
To link a complex economic phenomenon (a change in share prices) to a single political actor.
Effect:
The reader may believe that:
➡️ a specific political decision directly enriched the opponent’s associates.
This strengthens feelings of outrage.
3️⃣ Guilt by Association
Excerpt:
“Péter Magyar’s man from SEL, István Kapitány”
Technique:
👉 Suggesting guilt through association
Goal:
To connect a political opponent to the wealth increase of an economic actor.
Effect:
The reader may develop the feeling that:
➡️ “politics is really about making money.”
4️⃣ Emphasizing a Dramatic Number
Excerpt:
“became richer by 800 million”
Technique:
👉 Emotional impact through numbers
Goal:
To provoke a strong emotional reaction by highlighting a large number.
Effect:
The size of the number can provoke outrage even if:
- it is not cash,
- but a change in share value.
5️⃣ Framing an Economic Process Politically
Excerpt:
“because of the Iranian crisis”
Technique:
👉 Oversimplifying complex economic processes
Goal:
To turn global energy and capital-market developments into the basis of a political attack.
Effect:
The reader may feel that:
➡️ geopolitical crises intentionally benefit certain people.
6️⃣ Repetition
Excerpt:
“800 million… 800 million… 800 million”
Technique:
👉 Repetition of a key element
Goal:
To fix the number in the reader’s memory.
Effect:
The message becomes simple and easy to repeat:
➡️ “pro-Ukrainian politics = 800 million enrichment.”
✅ Summary
The message is not an economic analysis but a political narrative.
The author:
- builds an enemy image,
- uses guilt by association,
- suggests a simple cause-and-effect relationship,
- and amplifies emotional reactions through dramatic numbers.
The goal is to create the impression in the reader that:
➡️ “pro-Ukrainian politics is actually about making money.”