MEPs Urge European Commission to Investigate Hungary’s Electoral Integrity Amid Russian Influence Concerns

A cross-party group of Members of the European Parliament has called on the European Commission to investigate whether Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary elections are being undermined by Russian manipulation, media intimidation, and voter coercion by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party.

With Hungarians set to head to the polls in three days for elections that could end Orbán’s 16-year grip on power, MEPs have written to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Rule of Law Commissioner Michael McGrath requesting urgent assessment of electoral conditions both before and immediately after voting day.

The parliamentarians expressed particular concern over reports of disinformation campaigns, foreign interference, misuse of state resources, and intimidation of journalists and opposition figures. Their appeal comes at a sensitive moment when the Commission has separately demanded explanations from Budapest regarding leaked recordings suggesting cooperation between Hungarian and Russian officials.

Independent media outlet VSquare recently published an investigation claiming the Kremlin has sent a dedicated team to Hungary to manipulate the election results. According to the report, the operation is allegedly overseen by Sergei Kiriyenko, Vladimir Putin’s first deputy chief of staff, who reportedly orchestrated a similar campaign in Moldova involving vote-buying operations and troll farms targeting the pro-EU President Maia Sandu.

The journalist behind the investigation, Szabolcs Panyi, has since been accused by Hungarian authorities of spying for Ukraine. MEPs described this as state-led intimidation of “unprecedented severity” against a media professional.

Further concerns outlined in the MEPs’ letter include “credible allegations” of unauthorized attempts to access opposition party IT systems, reportedly involving state security forces. The letter also highlights documented cases of vote-buying and voter intimidation by the ruling Fidesz party.

“The union cannot credibly defend democracy externally while failing to react when the integrity of elections inside the union itself is placed under such serious strain,” the MEPs wrote.

Adding to tensions between Hungary and EU institutions, the European Commission has demanded urgent clarification regarding another leaked recording between Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. In the conversation, obtained by investigative journalists, Szijjártó appears to offer to send Lavrov a document concerning Ukraine’s EU accession process.

“I will send it to you. It’s not a problem,” Szijjártó reportedly said after Lavrov mentioned Moscow was seeking information about minority language provisions in Ukraine’s EU accession talks.

The recording has drawn sharp criticism from other EU member states. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described it as “a betrayal of the solidarity” required between EU countries, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the recording “really beyond shocking.”

European Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho stated that the recording raises “the alarming possibility of a member state coordinating with Russia, thus actively working against the security and the interests of the EU.” She confirmed that President von der Leyen would raise the issue directly with other European leaders.

Tineke Strik, the Dutch Green MEP who leads the European Parliament’s work on democratic standards in Hungary, criticized the Commission for being “too hesitant” in its response to Budapest. She suggested that concerns about appearing to interfere in Hungary’s electoral process have prevented stronger action.

“The Commission is very afraid of being accused of interfering in Hungary’s elections,” Strik said, noting that Orbán is “using the EU anyhow in his attacks,” referring to government billboards targeting European leaders and persistent anti-EU rhetoric from Hungarian officials.

Strik argued that the Commission could take a more assertive stance to protect Hungarian citizens’ interests. “So far, they don’t do it. I understand their reasons, but they reason too much on the basis of a normal democratic process. And that’s the point that I make to them: we are not in a normal situation.”

The upcoming Hungarian elections represent a critical juncture for EU-Hungary relations, which have been strained for years over rule of law concerns and Orbán’s increasingly close ties with Russia despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.