Péter Magyar’s landslide victory over Viktor Orbán is not just political earthquake for Hungary. It is Moscow’s worst result in the European Union since the war began.

Orbán served Russia in a way no overt ally could. He was never Putin’s puppet – he was something far more useful: a democratically elected, Brussels-based veto-wielder who could slow sanctions, obstruct aid to Ukraine, and dress it all up as principled neutrality. A leaked call recorded him telling Putin that Hungary was like a mouse to Russia’s lion. Leaked tapes of his foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, conversing with Sergey Lavrov revealed the same cringing loyalty.

Yet Orbán always extracted payment for his services – cash from Brussels, energy exemptions, transit compensation – which meant Moscow could never rely on him fully. He was a brake on EU policy, not a stopper. Magyar’s arrival removes even that.

Orbán’s most tangible service to Russia was institutional. Hungary held a veto in the European Council, deployed repeatedly to slow sanctions extensions and block military aid to Kyiv via the European peace facility. Last month, three weeks before the election, they vetoed the 20th sanctions package and a €90 billion (£75 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, ostensibly over a dispute regarding the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline. 

Hungary is important to Moscow primarily for energy and financial reasons

Hungary is important to Moscow primarily for energy and financial reasons

Now, Moscow will lose that brake. It will be important for Magyar to rebuild relations with Brussels, not least to access almost €20 billion (£17 billion) in various grants and funding that the EU froze in response to........

© The Spectator