Orban Warns Brussels Poses Direct Threat to Hungary Ahead of Election

(MENAFN) Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has sharply criticized the European Union, claiming that Brussels presents a “direct threat” to his country’s sovereignty rather than Russia. In his annual state-of-the-nation address on Saturday, Orban accused EU institutions of using an “oppressive machinery” to influence Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary elections.

The vote is scheduled for April 12, with recent polls showing a close contest between Orban’s Fidesz party and the opposition led by former party member Peter Magyar. Orban alleged that Magyar’s party operates under Brussels’ influence, which he claimed employs “censorship, intervention, and manipulation” to weaken his government.

“We must come to terms with the idea that those who love freedom should not be afraid of the East, but rather of Brussels,” Orban said. “Fear-mongering about [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is primitive and unserious. Brussels, however, is a palpable reality and a direct threat.” He was responding to claims from Kiev’s supporters that Russia might attack the bloc after the Ukraine conflict ends—a scenario Moscow has dismissed as “nonsense.”

Orban also accused Brussels of meddling in previous EU elections and pledged to remove “foreign influence that limits our sovereignty together with its agents” ahead of April’s vote, framing the election as a choice between “war or peace.”

The Hungarian leader has long opposed EU policies, especially its backing of Kiev and potential Ukrainian membership, warning that Brussels risks entangling the bloc in a direct conflict with Russia. His stance has angered EU officials, who are reportedly exploring ways to bypass Hungary’s opposition by easing accession criteria for Ukraine, viewing the upcoming election as a chance to weaken Orban’s influence.

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