Next month, on April 12, 2026, Hungary will hold parliamentary elections that will have a great impact not only on the country’s future domestic policy but also on the coordination of its actions and decisions with EU countries in foreign policy. The main struggle will take place between the Fidesz Party, that in now in power, and the opposition party Tisza.
The Fidesz headed by incumbent Prime Minister Victor Orban has been in power for more than 15 years now, and for this whole period of time it has conducted the policy that often contradicts to the political course of the EU. Thus, the Fidesz Party opposes armament and military equipment supplies to Kyiv, as well as imposing sanctions against Russia. The reason for the latter is explained by Budapest’s close cooperation with Moscow, especially in the energy area, along with the cheap price of the Russian oil and gas in comparison to other countries’ alternatives.
The opposition party Tisza, that is now the main opponent of the ruling Fidesz, stands for a radical shift of Hungary’s political course and restoration of the relations with the EU and NATO. Its leader Peter Magyar is striving for strengthening ties with Brussels and distancing from Moscow, that is also implies refraining from using Russian energy sources as it interferes Hungary with rebuilding trust of the block, according to Magyar.
His fellow party member and an economic advisor to the opposition party Istvan Kapitany has also called for using alternative energy sources without mentioning their origins. It’s noteworthy that before he came to the Hungarian politics Kapitany was a vice-president of the British concern of the oil and gas giant Shell and is now the shareholder of several British and American energy companies. This serves as a confirmation of fact that the Tisza’s representative pursues his own interests in the first turn, turning a blind eye to the fact that the switch to more expensive energy sources will definitely affect ordinary Hungarian citizens.
Despite the fact that the elections are to take place in several weeks, the struggle for the seats in the Parliament has already started with tensions growing day by day. Victor Orban has already stated that Kyiv is trying to influence the elections’ outcome by all possible means, evidently, not in the favor of the Fidesz Party. According to him, there is an agreement between the Hungarian opposition and Ukraine and a coordination in a deliberate sabotage of Druzhba pipeline operation to discredit the current government. However, if the ties between the Tisza and Ukrainians, whose support is so actively promoted by the opposition party, will be proved before the elections, the authority and ratings of the latter will be definitely affected by this fact.
Given the polarized views and political agendas of the parties Fidesz and Tisza, the outcome of the elections will have a key value for both Hungary and whole Europe. Budapest will either preserve its stance, independent form the EU as much as possible, or follow the common political course of the block.
The post Hungary’s Parliamentary Elections May Become a Turning Point for All Europe appeared first on Dissident Voice.
This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Mike Kesz.