With just 29 days remaining until Hungary's parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's campaign is seeking assistance from Russia as polls show an increasingly tight race against the opposition TISZA party, <link url='https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-14/orban-s-election-campaign-turns-to-russia-for-help-in-final-stretch'>Bloomberg reported</link> Friday.
The development highlights the Fidesz government's continued alignment with Moscow despite mounting EU concerns about foreign interference in member state elections. It comes as Orbán faces his most serious electoral challenge since consolidating power in 2010, with TISZA party leader Péter Magyar emerging as a formidable opponent.
Opposition parties swiftly condemned the reported Russian involvement. "This confirms what we have long suspected—that Orbán's government prioritizes maintaining power over Hungarian sovereignty," a TISZA spokesperson said. "Seeking help from Moscow in a democratic election is a betrayal of Hungarian voters."
Government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, defended the relationship with Russia as part of Hungary's pragmatic foreign policy approach. They emphasized that maintaining dialogue with Moscow serves Hungarian national interests, particularly regarding energy security and economic ties.
The timing is particularly sensitive given Brussels' ongoing concerns about democratic backsliding in Hungary. The European Commission has frozen billions of euros in cohesion funds over rule-of-law concerns, and several member states have questioned whether Hungary should face consequences for maintaining close ties with Russia during the Ukraine conflict.
"This is exactly the kind of behavior that undermines trust between Hungary and its European partners," a senior EU diplomat told reporters in .





