Nine days before Hungarian elections, an intercepted phone call has allegedly captured Budapest's foreign minister promising "favors" to Moscow. This isn't speculation about Hungary working with Russia - it's allegedly recorded evidence.
Hungary's Foreign Minister reportedly promised favors to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a phone conversation that was intercepted and leaked, according to Der Spiegel. The call's contents have not been fully disclosed, but German media report that Hungarian officials offered assistance to Russian interests within EU forums.
The timing could not be more damaging for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Hungarian voters go to the polls on April 12, and opposition leader Péter Magyar has centered his campaign on Orbán's relationship with the Kremlin. Magyar has called the election a "referendum on Hungary's place in Europe" - and now he has apparent evidence.
The question for Brussels: How long will the EU tolerate a member state that allegedly coordinates policy with Moscow?
Hungary has blocked EU sanctions on Russia, delayed military aid to Ukraine, and maintained close economic ties with the Kremlin throughout the war. EU officials have suspected Hungarian coordination with Moscow, but diplomatic protocol prevented direct accusations. An intercepted call changes the calculation.
The European Commission can invoke Article 7 procedures to suspend Hungary's voting rights, but doing so requires unanimity among other member states - and Poland under its previous government consistently protected Budapest. With Poland's new pro-EU government, that shield has disappeared.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called for a about Hungary's EU membership status. That diplomatic language translates to: Brussels is running out of patience.
