Hungarian FM accuses US of election meddling
Date
10/15/2024 8:25:24 AM
(MENAFN) Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has accused the United States of engaging in significant interference in Hungary's Political landscape, specifically during the 2022 elections. In a recent interview with RIA Novosti, Szijjarto claimed that the U.S. "invested heavily" in efforts to oust the current government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the Fidesz-Christian Democratic People’s Party (Fidesz-KDNP) alliance.
Szijjarto alleged that the U.S. engaged in "very serious attempts to interfere" in the elections, noting that "many millions of dollars" were spent to support the opposition and fund initiatives aimed at defeating the ruling coalition. He stated, “Millions of dollars have been spent by American entities during the Hungarian elections, invested in our opposition and opposition media. This is still going on.” Despite these alleged attempts, he expressed confidence that the opposition would continue to fail in their efforts to unseat the government.
In the 2022 elections, the Fidesz-KDNP alliance secured a decisive victory, winning 135 out of 199 seats in the Hungarian National Assembly and maintaining a constitutional majority for the third consecutive election. In contrast, the coalition of six opposition parties, led by Peter Marki-Zay, managed to obtain only 57 seats. Following the election, the Hungarian parliament reelected Orban as prime minister for a fifth term.
Reports of foreign funding for opposition campaigns began circulating in late 2022, when Hungarian media cited an intelligence report from the country’s secret services. These reports claimed that the opposition received as much as $8 million from foreign entities. Marki-Zay later acknowledged in a podcast that he had received financial support from the U.S.-based NGO, Action for Democracy.
As Hungary navigates its complex relationship with the U.S. and the implications of foreign influence in its elections, these allegations underscore the broader geopolitical tensions between the two nations. Szijjarto's claims reflect growing concerns in Budapest over external meddling in domestic affairs, as the government seeks to maintain its political stability amid international scrutiny.
MENAFN15102024000045015687ID1108780128
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.