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Kremlin Acknowledges Possible Fidesz Defeat in Hungary’s Upcoming Elections
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Russian authorities have acknowledged the possibility that the ruling party of Hungary, Fidesz, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, could suffer a defeat in the upcoming elections on April 12.
This information was revealed by two sources close to the political bloc of President Vladimir Putin’s administration, according to Meduza on April 10.
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Initially, there were hopes that Orbán and his political strategists could reverse the situation and secure a victory through the party list system. Later, however, the desired scenario shifted to a win through single-member constituencies. Currently, sources indicate that the Kremlin is even considering the possibility that Fidesz may lose in both categories.
According to the outlet, earlier, Financial Times and The Washington Post reported that Russia has been actively trying to support Orbán's party in winning the elections. According to these outlets, the Russian administration approved a plan aimed at boosting Fidesz’s popularity, developed by political strategists from the Social Projecting Agency.
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The plan reportedly involved promoting Orbán as a “strong leader with friends around the world” through social media, while launching “information attacks” on his main opponents—the Tisza Party, led by Péter Madár. The strategy also sought to portray Madár as a “puppet of the EU,” according to Financial Times and The Washington Post, as reported by Meduza.
The Russian embassy in Budapest has denied any interference in Hungary’s election campaign.
One of Meduza’s sources clarified that while there is no direct management of Orbán’s campaign by the Kremlin’s administration, there is “assistance” provided in social media campaigning.
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A source close to the Kremlin stated that if Orbán’s party were to lose the election, Russian state-controlled media would frame the defeat as a “color revolution” orchestrated by the European Union. The blame for the loss would be placed on Orbán and his team, with one source commenting, “Even with our support, they couldn’t achieve anything.”
Meanwhile, the European Commission has called for an immediate explanation from Hungary after the latest leak of phone conversations between Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, raising serious concerns about Hungary's ties to Russia.
In the newly leaked conversation, Szijjártó is allegedly heard offering to forward an internal EU document to Lavrov, which pertains to Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union. This incident follows a series of prior leaks that have fueled suspicions about Hungary’s growing alignment with Moscow, despite Hungary being a European Union member state.
A spokesperson for the European Commission stressed that this latest leak signals “the alarming possibility of a member state coordinating with Russia, thus actively working against the security and interests of the EU.”
EU Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho, responding to questions regarding the leaked information from a central European media consortium, called the situation “extremely concerning.” She emphasized that the leak highlights the troubling prospect of a European Union member state collaborating with Russia to undermine the EU’s security and the interests of its citizens.
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