How Much Money Burnt on Anti-Ukraine Campaign in Hungary?

  • 19 May 2025 2:44 PM
How Much Money Burnt on Anti-Ukraine Campaign in Hungary?
The opposition Democratic Coalition will sue the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister for access to data, to reveal "how much money has been burnt on the anti-Ukraine campaign", the party group's spokesperson said,

Olga Kalman told an online press conference that a request for access to data of public interest had been submitted in April to find out how much the government had spent "on the anti-Ukraine hate campaign" but the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister has not released the data.

She added that DK had also initiated a referendum on Ukraine's European Union membership but the National Election Committee had rejected it.

Of all Hungarian parties, only DK stands openly in support of Ukraine's EU accession "because the left wing believes it is in the national interest that a strong, EU member Ukraine should be between our country and Russia".

Orban: 'Ukraine's EU membership greatest danger today'

Ukraine's EU membership is the greatest danger today, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the chairman of Fidesz, said in Budapest on Sunday, at an event called 'Fighters' Club - The Beginning'.

Speaking to an audience of several thousand, Orban said it was no news that Hungary was under attack as the "Brussels bureaucrats""led by Soros", had attacked Hungary before. He said the situation was more difficult now because "they had been joined by the Ukrainians".

"Ukraine's EU membership is the greatest danger today,"
 he said, adding that he understood them since "their country, which was already dysfunctional and bankrupt before the war, had been ruined". He said the Ukrainians could not stand on their own feet,"they need other people's money," this is why they want to access the European Union "at once and at any cost".

Orban said the Ukrainians did not care that they would bring the war into the EU, that they would ruin the farmers and make Hungary a gateway for the Ukrainian mafia but "we, Hungarians, do care," he added.

"We do not want them to drag us into the war, to ruin our farmers and turn Europe's safest country into a mafia nest, and we do not want the Hungarians' money to be sent to them through Brussels," he said.

Orban said this was what the Ukrainian secret service smear campaign organised against Hungary and funded from abroad " was about, and this is why Brussels wanted to see a "pro-Ukrainian Tisza-Dobrev coalition" in office in Hungary.

He said maybe Ukraine's EU membership would be a good thing for the West, but it would be bad for us, adding that we live here next door, "they will be storming our borders, take our jobs, and take our money away," he said.

"We must and we will resist," Orban said.

Kocsis: Natl security cttee to be convened over Magyar’s link to Ukrainian influence operations

Hungary’s ruling Fidesz has proposed convening parliament's national security committee over opposition Tisza Party leader Peter Magyar’s connection to Ukraine’s influence operations, the party’s group leader said on Facebook.

Mate Kocsis said it was vital to "clarify new information that surfaced in the press today on a connection between Ukrainian influence operations and the Tisza Party". He said Hungary’s secret services would have to conduct a thorough investigation into Magyar’s connection to a high-ranking officer in Ukraine’s military public administration.

"In light of all this, we have initiated convening another meeting of the national security committee for next Tuesday where we will request a briefing on these matters, and, if possible, we will propose releasing the available information to the public," Kocsis said.

Meanwhile, Momentum holds protest at Sovereignty Protection Office

The opposition Momentum party held a protest dubbed "Free home country, free press, free election!" against the approval of a bill on the transparency of public life at the Sovereignty Protection Office's headquarters.

Party leader Marton Tompos told the event from a stage set up in front of the building's entrance that the bill was not only about the press and NGOs. "From now on any of us could be a target".

Anyone criticising the government in a Facebook post could be branded a foreign agent, whether it is a business receiving European Union support or selling exports abroad, or even someone whose relative sends them money from abroad, he added.

Tompos said those in power "are running down and descending along the Putin path". "The next step on the Russian path will be the banning of parties and party politicians. The aim is to have an opposition in parliament that has been invented by them, created by them and placed there by them," he added.

Group leader David Bedo said that the bill aimed at "silencing everyone that does not agree with the state party". They first restricted the freedom of assembly, "now they come for whatever is left of the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech, and who knows what comes next".

Police formed a line to close off the building from the protesters, and the area between Sanc street, Hegyalja road and Mihaly street was closed off during the demonstration.

Source:
MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent. Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all the key narratives within the media landscape.

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