Monday, 17 August 2026Europe · Analysis
Independent · Brussels & Berlin
Person
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungarian Government
Viktor Orban hosted Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and other European nationalist leaders days before the April 12 election, but only 2,000 supporters attended while his party trails the Tisza opposition by a wide margin amid corruption and Russian influence scandals.
European intelligence sources say a team of Kremlin political technologists is running a disinformation operation from the Russian embassy targeting opposition leader Peter Magyar ahead of the April 12 parliamentary vote.
With Viktor Orban trailing in polls before April's vote, Fidesz warns EU diplomats against interference while courting Trump's endorsement, but the US president has already rejected Orban's request for an economic backstop.
With 94 days until April's vote, the prime minister's controlled press conference and a minister's mental-health slur against the opposition leader signal a campaign turning nasty, while Budapest redistricting and a Slovak language law add territorial stakes.
The EU executive says the phase-out will proceed regardless of any peace deal in Ukraine, citing Moscow's history of weaponising energy supplies. Hungary, Slovakia and Austria oppose the plan but lack a blocking minority.
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