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[00:00:00] war.
[00:01:02] Hello and welcome to Global from the BBC World Service. Every
[00:01:06] week, we bring you the best investigative reports from the BBC World Service and important
[00:01:09] and captivating reports from BBC channels around the world.
[00:01:13] I'm Stephanie Hekarti, and this week we're
[00:01:17] with you from Hungary. Following a
[00:01:20] major political shift, I've come here to understand how Viktor Orbán, with the
[00:01:24] longest premiership in the European Union, lost
[00:01:27] power, and whether his fall can be a wake-up call for
[00:01:31] populist leaders around the world. Also in this program,
[00:01:35] we reveal how self-proclaimed Russian extremist groups, by
[00:01:38] creating fear and intimidation, target citizens who they claim
[00:01:41] are enemies of Russia. Who funds these groups, and do
[00:01:45] they operate with the Kremlin's approval? The surrogacy industry
[00:01:49] in Ukraine has brought billions of dollars in revenue to the
[00:01:53] country. But now, politicians are considering
[00:01:56] banning payments by couples.
[00:02:03] We will delve into the details
[00:02:04] of this issue.
[00:02:07] This is Kossuth Square in Budapest, directly opposite
[00:02:11] the Hungarian Parliament, where on April 9,
[00:02:14] thousands gathered to celebrate a rare political
[00:02:18] event in Europe today. Viktor
[00:02:21] Orbán had the longest term as prime minister in the
[00:02:25] European Union, and over 16 years, he built a political
[00:02:29] system around himself. To maintain power, he changed
[00:02:32] the face of democracy. For this reason, the results of the April
[00:02:35] elections, with an exceptionally high turnout of 80%, surprised
[00:02:39] many. Péter Magyar, the new prime minister
[00:02:42] of Hungary, has stated that he will dismantle the system
[00:02:46] Orbán built and has promised that democracy will be
[00:02:48] restored. We will ensure
[00:02:52] through a review of the Hungarian
[00:02:54] constitution that the concentration
[00:02:58] of power on the scale we witnessed
[00:03:02] in the past will never occur
[00:03:05] in this country.
[00:03:08] How was Péter Magyar able to achieve such a stunning
[00:03:12] victory? And what does the defeat of Viktor Orbán, a close ally
[00:03:16] of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, who for years has been a thorn in the side of the European Union
[00:03:19] and Ukraine, mean for Europe and the world? To
[00:03:23] understand the widespread dominance of Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz
[00:03:27] party over Hungarian institutions, with
[00:03:36] For the past five years, since the COVID pandemic, a state
[00:03:40] of emergency was in effect, meaning they could suspend the enforcement
[00:03:43] of laws and even pass new laws without parliamentary
[00:03:46] intervention. The massive propaganda
[00:03:49] apparatus of the Fidesz party also played a significant
[00:03:53] role in maintaining power. Viktor Orbán also used his powers
[00:03:57] to allocate funds to solidify his dominance across the
[00:04:00] country. Government budgets and EU funds were distributed
[00:04:04] among cities based on their support for Fidesz, meaning
[00:04:07] mayors who supported Fidesz received funding for their
[00:04:11] cities. Even at the local level, these mayors only granted access
[00:04:15] to the state employment program to those who voted
[00:04:18] for the party. Orbán's populism was welcomed by ordinary
[00:04:21] Hungarians. It should not be forgotten that Orbán's government was truly
[00:04:25] popular in its early days. For example, it significantly
[00:04:29] increased employment.
[00:05:12] and a new political coalition was formed. This is
[00:05:16] the headquarters of Partizán, one of the most influential
[00:05:19] political YouTube channels in Hungary. A media
[00:05:22] outlet that was once among the few platforms not controlled
[00:05:25] by Orbán. In 2024, Partizán published an interview
[00:05:29] that became highly controversial online. This interview was with
[00:05:33] an influential figure in the political structure who had left Orbán's
[00:05:37] party due to concerns about corruption. That politician was Péter
[00:05:39] Magyar. A system can collapse very
[00:05:42] quickly, within a few weeks, or even in a few
[00:05:46] moments. Magyar became a prominent figure overnight and within
[00:05:50] two years, he was able to oust Viktor Orbán from power. I asked
[00:05:53] the political editor of Partizán how Péter Magyar and his
[00:05:57] party, Tisza, managed to achieve this success. The interesting
[00:06:01] lesson to be learned from this election is that their victory was not
[00:06:04] due to the mobilization of this or that particular social
[00:06:08] group, but rather they were able to form a much broader
[00:06:11] coalition than anyone expected. I think during Péter
[00:06:15] Magyar's election campaign, he visited hundreds of cities, including small
[00:06:18] towns whose residents were not accustomed to politicians
[00:06:21] paying attention to them. The second point is that his messages
[00:06:25] revolved around issues that were not particularly
[00:06:28] controversial culturally. He focused on issues where his
[00:06:32] stance aligned with the stance of the overwhelming majority
[00:06:35] of Hungarians, who are a conservative society. But after
[00:06:39] the initial excitement,
[00:06:42] it's time to face reality, and the main challenge begins: dismantling a system
[00:06:46] built to maintain power. Regarding
[00:06:50] the remaining former elite, we see signs
[00:06:53] of a fundamental change. Mr. Orbán's media system
[00:06:57] is collapsing with unexpected speed.
[00:07:00] So here too, we are witnessing a fundamental change.
[00:07:03] And here, a more important question arises: Can
[00:07:06] Hungary, once a symbol of the growing wave of conservative populism,
[00:07:10] now be a turning point?
[00:07:19] where a new self-appointed movement has emerged across the country,
[00:07:23] accelerating the trend towards nationalism and control. They call
[00:07:26] themselves Rusich Obshchina and are accused of creating
[00:07:30] fear and intimidation, targeting those they call enemies of
[00:07:34] Russia. Members of this group say they defend public
[00:07:38] order and support the war, but critics warn that they are self-appointed
[00:07:41] enforcers.
[00:08:12] It attracted different people, but now I'm forced to
[00:08:16] stop my activities.
[00:08:19] Katya
[00:08:22] celebrated her 30th birthday with a themed party. The
[00:08:25] essence of the party was her special dress and
[00:08:28] mood. I made a poster that said
[00:08:32] "themed party." I only
[00:08:35] posted it in a private group.
[00:08:38] Just
[00:08:44] as I was about to blow out the candles, some people
[00:08:48] who weren't invited forced
[00:08:51] their way into my private party. At first
[00:08:54] I thought it was a joke. Then I realized something
[00:08:58] terrible was happening. The sound
[00:09:00] of fighting and brawling came from every
[00:09:04] direction. They hit my friend on the head with a rifle
[00:09:07] butt. They punched a girl and threw
[00:09:11] her to the ground. She was crying loudly.
[00:09:15] It was a very bad situation. Alongside
[00:09:18] police forces, masked men with Rusich Obshchina insignia
[00:09:22] forcibly entered the premises. They forced the guests
[00:09:25] to show their passports and took their pictures.
[00:09:29] Right then I realized that these weren't police
[00:09:32] officers. They didn't have proper uniforms
[00:09:35] or anything. They were just ordinary people.
[00:09:38] My friend was filming.
[00:10:25] I have no choice. I am a problematic person
[00:10:28] and people like me should leave
[00:10:32] the country.
[00:10:32] Simultaneously with the start of
[00:10:42] Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which he claimed
[00:10:46] was aimed at denazifying the country, developments that
[00:10:50] had already begun in Russia accelerated.
[00:10:53] We must stand against ideas that are
[00:10:57] imposed on our citizens, especially the youth, and threaten
[00:11:00] our values. Patriotic education, a war
[00:11:04] economy, and the suppression of dissent have become
[00:11:06] part of daily life.
[00:11:09] Russia, Russia,
[00:11:17] Russia, Russia. Putin increasingly
[00:11:20] championed an image of Russia rooted in the
[00:11:24] past and called for a return
[00:11:27] to traditional values. Across
[00:11:31] the country, nationalist movements also emerged,
[00:11:34] following his lead.
[00:11:46] Activists of these groups say they help maintain public
[00:11:49] order, support war efforts, and seek
[00:11:53] to revive Russian identity.
[00:11:56] Critics say some of these groups provide
[00:12:00] cover for extremist activities and intimidation.
[00:12:03] Rusich Obshchina, or the Russian Community, is
[00:12:06] by far the largest of these groups.
[00:12:10] This group now has nearly 150 branches
[00:12:14] across Russia and the occupied territories.
[00:12:16] Rusich Obshchina is an informal group of Russians
[00:12:20] who have gathered to support each other. Our focus
[00:12:23] is on helping the community and keeping
[00:12:27] our cultural traditions
[00:12:28] and identity alive.
[00:12:31] We are everywhere. Just look around you. If you see
[00:12:35] a Russian, it might be one of us. This group
[00:12:38] recruits through its extensive network of social media
[00:12:42] channels. These channels promote Russian
[00:12:45] identity, the war, and intimidating actions against
[00:12:49] those they believe undermine their values.
[00:12:52] People are
[00:14:04] tired of all this chaos. People see that the police
[00:14:08] can't handle the situation and want to help the community
[00:14:12] and the government to keep the streets safe.
[00:14:15] This means resistance
[00:14:18] against foreign
[00:14:19] influence.
[00:14:25] Rusich Obshchina mobilizes its thousands of followers
[00:14:29] on Telegram and asks them to take action in their neighborhoods.
[00:14:32] These actions often begin with followers
[00:14:35] reporting suspicious activities in group chats. Then,
[00:14:39] members of Rusich Obshchina,
[00:14:43] either with law enforcement or alone, arrive
[00:14:46] at the scene and confront the individuals they have
[00:14:49] targeted. Some actions are also pre-planned, including
[00:14:52] raids on construction sites, dormitories, shops,
[00:14:55] and nightclubs. Members
[00:14:59] publish videos of these actions
[00:15:02] to encourage others to take similar actions.
[00:15:06] Some of these posts have been viewed
[00:15:09] hundreds of thousands of times. To understand the scale of this group's activities,
[00:15:13] BBC Eye has reviewed over 21,000 posts
[00:15:16] published on their main public Telegram channels and
[00:15:20] confirms that activists of this group have carried out over
[00:15:23] 900 raids. Of these, over 300
[00:15:27] were carried out with the assistance of law enforcement.
[00:15:30] The actual number is likely higher
[00:15:32] than these figures.
[00:15:36] One month after the raid on Katya's party, she was prosecuted
[00:15:39] on charges of insulting religious feelings, a criminal
[00:15:43] offense that can carry up to 3 years in
[00:15:45] prison.
[00:15:48] The basis of the accusation was that members of Rusich
[00:15:52] Obshchina claimed they were offended by a red neon
[00:15:56] cross. They said that as religious individuals, their
[00:16:00] feelings were hurt.
[00:16:02] The court
[00:16:05] documents related to this case were reviewed.
[00:16:08] Witnesses claimed that she insulted the feelings of Orthodox
[00:16:12] believers.
[00:16:13] In my
[00:16:16] opinion, the people of Rusich Obshchina created
[00:16:19] the situation themselves so they could then claim
[00:16:23] they were insulted. You know, if
[00:16:26] they hadn't attacked my party, they wouldn't
[00:16:29] have seen anything to be offended
[00:16:32] by, and there would have been no
[00:16:35] excuse for punishment.
[00:16:45] In court, I looked into the eyes of the
[00:16:48] witnesses and hoped that a spark of humanity
[00:16:51] would awaken within them, and they would understand
[00:16:55] what they were doing. One of Katya's friends recorded
[00:16:59] her last words in court. I
[00:17:02] do not accept the accusation. The witnesses
[00:17:05] who lied must be held accountable.
[00:17:15] It is highly likely that the Kremlin is aware of Rusich
[00:17:18] Obshchina's activities
[00:17:26] and is currently allowing them to continue. If not, they would
[00:17:30] have been shut down by now. This is how it works:
[00:17:33] anything they don't want, they ban.
[00:17:36] It's that simple. At
[00:17:39] the group's annual ceremony to commemorate Russian
[00:17:43] traditions, influential and powerful figures, as well
[00:17:46] as controversial individuals, are present in the front
[00:17:50] row, including the Metropolitan, an influential figure in the Orthodox
[00:17:53] Church and a staunch opponent of immigration. After
[00:17:56] his public support for this group, the Orthodox Church
[00:18:00] ordered all its bishops in Russia to cooperate with the
[00:18:03] local branches of this group, an action that brought
[00:18:07] Rusich Obshchina even closer to official institutions. Rusich
[00:18:10] Obshchina presents itself as a grassroots movement originating
[00:18:14] from within society. No oligarchs are behind
[00:18:18] us. Let them say what they want. No one funds
[00:18:20] us.
[00:18:23] However, financial documents seen by the BBC show
[00:18:26] that this group receives money from anonymous
[00:18:29] charities. One of these foundations belongs to Sergey
[00:18:33] Mikheev, who became famous for his controversial statements
[00:18:37] on television. He is reported to have close ties with the Kremlin
[00:18:40] and also carries out missions for Russian intelligence
[00:18:44] agencies abroad. Another regular funder
[00:18:48] of this group is a foundation controlled by Igor
[00:18:51] Khododomo, an isolated billionaire and one of Russia's
[00:18:54] largest landowners.
[00:19:07] Well, I was sentenced to 20 hours
[00:19:11] of community service.
[00:19:14] One feels a sense of defeat. I experienced
[00:19:18] a very bad
[00:19:19] feeling.
[00:19:25] The BBC has interviewed a number of supporters of
[00:19:29] Rusich Obshchina, who explained how the groups of this movement
[00:19:32] are mobilized alongside government institutions. In contrast, critics
[00:19:36] say the group's online content exaggerates the true
[00:19:40] extent of their activities. We also spoke with many victims
[00:19:44] who, out of fear, were unwilling to speak on camera and spoke
[00:19:47] of hostility and intimidation that casts a shadow over daily
[00:19:51] life. How long this movement will last depends
[00:19:55] on the ruling regime. However, their ideas and views
[00:19:58] continue to spread.
[00:20:00] Ukraine has long been one of the main centers
[00:20:04] of surrogacy in the world. And the low
[00:20:07] cost and relatively easy laws in this
[00:20:11] area have attracted applicants from various countries to Ukraine.
[00:20:14] Even after the start of the full-scale Russian
[00:20:18] invasion, this industry has continued, and fertility clinics have adapted
[00:20:21] to wartime conditions. However, Ukraine's role in this industry
[00:20:25] has not been without controversy. The Ukrainian parliament is
[00:20:28] now considering a new law that could prohibit foreigners
[00:20:32] from using surrogacy in the country, an action that could have
[00:20:36] worldwide repercussions. Yuliya Bates, a BBC
[00:20:40] global health correspondent,
[00:20:40] reports.
[00:20:46] Today is a beautiful day. The sky
[00:20:49] is blue. The sun is shining, and we are very excited
[00:20:52] because we are going to see our baby.
[00:20:56] Elena and Igor have entered Ukrainian territory. A country
[00:21:00] that has been severely damaged by four years of war.
[00:21:03] They have driven almost 2,000 kilometers from Macedonia
[00:21:07] to Ukraine. I am very afraid to come here. Everything
[00:21:10] I see on the news, you know, it's war here. We
[00:21:14] want to have children. We are willing to do anything
[00:21:17] to have children. If necessary.
[00:21:23] This was not an easy decision. For nine years, with several
[00:21:27] rounds of IVF and surgery, they tried to have children.
[00:21:31] Surrogacy was their last resort. Ukraine offers
[00:21:35] something that few countries have: a tested
[00:21:38] and well-established legal system specifically
[00:21:42] for surrogacy. Now, after nine months, they are meeting
[00:21:46] their son for the first time. For a moment, with
[00:22:02] himself. This was the best thing that
[00:22:06] ever happened in our
[00:22:07] lives.
[00:22:11] Elena and Igor are not alone. Every year, thousands
[00:22:15] travel to Ukraine for surrogacy, even with the start
[00:22:18] of the invasion.
[00:22:34] When Karina was 17, her home in Bakhmut was destroyed
[00:22:38] in a Russian attack, and she became homeless.
[00:22:41] We had reached a point where we were counting pennies
[00:22:45] to buy formula and diapers for the baby. That's
[00:22:48] when I told myself,
[00:22:58] it's not mine, but I still love it. I talk to it when it
[00:23:02] kicks. I talk to it.
[00:23:05] Critics say cases like Karina's raise difficult
[00:23:08] questions. Surrogacy clinics openly stated
[00:23:11] that they target poor women. Now that the war
[00:23:15] continues, the number of poor women is increasing.
[00:23:19] Desperate and penniless women who have lost their
[00:23:22] jobs and sources of income want to survive and provide
[00:23:26] for their families, and surrogacy clinics offer them this
[00:23:29] opportunity because Western couples want to have children
[00:23:33] at a low cost. I am egg
[00:23:37] donor number 433. Surrogacy clinics do
[00:23:40] not share this view. They say
[00:23:44] they provide an opportunity for women to help others
[00:23:47] have children legally and.
[00:24:20] In many cases, applicants travel to Ukraine with a delay
[00:24:23] to pick up their babies. Some clinics even have special
[00:24:27] rooms for these
[00:24:29] babies.
[00:24:35] Just now we heard the air raid siren.
[00:24:39] This means all the babies are being
[00:24:42] taken to the basement to be safe. It is in such
[00:24:46] a tense and dangerous environment that applicants
[00:24:50] sometimes leave their babies in Ukraine for a while.
[00:24:53] But this situation may soon change.
[00:24:57] The Ukrainian parliament is considering a new law that could
[00:25:00] prohibit foreign parents from using surrogacy,
[00:25:04] effectively ending the activity of one of the world's
[00:25:07] largest surrogacy markets. The bill's goal
[00:25:11] is to have clear regulations for this field,
[00:25:14] because currently, there is practically nothing.
[00:25:16] For many couples in.
[00:26:22] has a famous saying. He says that all politics is local,
[00:26:26] meaning that before reaching the streets of Washington, those
[00:26:30] who want to enter Congress must pay attention to the demands
[00:26:33] of the local people, who will choose only one of the candidates.
[00:26:37] Welcome to the US Elections Podcast
[00:26:40] from BBC Persian Television and on online platforms.
[00:27:20] Do you want to know how much your food and drink expenses
[00:27:24] have increased? How much food inflation your family
[00:27:27] feels? Just go to
[00:27:29] BBCpersian.com/food and enter the items
[00:27:33] you usually buy. For example, one kilogram
[00:27:36] of Iranian rice for guests, four kilograms
[00:27:40] of rice for ourselves, one kilogram of lamb, one kilogram
[00:27:42] of beef,
[00:27:45] one pack of foreign tea, and click the calculate
[00:27:48] button. The calculator will show the national and provincial
[00:27:52] average cost of your basket last month, its price
[00:27:56] a year ago, and the increase in its cost. It will
[00:27:59] calculate the food inflation rate for your family.
[00:28:03] You can also compare this with the official inflation
[00:28:07] rate. Is your
[00:28:09] basket's inflation higher than all food
[00:28:13] items? The food inflation calculator on
[00:28:17] our website, BBCpersian.com/food.
[00:30:20] Headlines.
[00:30:21] The collapse
[00:30:26] of Republican strongholds against a tsunami of anti-Trump
[00:30:30] sentiment. Democrats won both houses
[00:30:33] of Congress in the midterm elections.
[00:30:36] Trump
[00:30:43] and Vance concede the war's impact on Republican
[00:30:46] defeat. The US President, however, still defends
[00:30:50] the decision to attack
[00:30:51] Iran.
[00:30:55] Well, I think this statement is largely correct, because the