'Alarming': Von der Leyen to raise Hungary's 'Russia leaks' with EU leaders

Published on 09/04/2026 - 16:18 GMT+2

Ursula von der Leyen plans to rise the contented of Hungary's alleged signifier of leaking accusation to Russia astatine the highest level of Europe's leadership, her spokesperson announced successful the aftermath of caller revelations.

The nonstop engagement of the president of the European Commission lays bare the wide outrage and unease triggered by Budapest's exceptionally adjacent ties with Moscow, which are progressively seen arsenic a information menace from within.

The allegations "highlight the alarming anticipation of a subordinate state's authorities coordinating with Russia, frankincense actively moving against the information and the interests of the EU and its citizens," the spokesperson said connected Thursday afternoon.

"This is, therefore, highly concerning, and it's for the subordinate state's authorities successful question to explicate itself arsenic a substance of urgency."

It was not instantly wide erstwhile von der Leyen would rise the delicate issue, fixed that Hungarians are heading to the polls connected 12 April successful an predetermination wherever the incumbent, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, trails successful sentiment polls by treble digits.

Officials successful Brussels person been trying to support a debased illustration during the electoral play to debar fuelling Orbán's anti-EU and anti-Ukraine rhetoric, which has go the defining diagnostic of his bruising campaign.

Initially, the Commission called connected Hungary to clarify the reports and respect the rule of sincere practice that guides the bloc's corporate decision-making.

But the enactment hardened this week aft a new story by 5 European media described however Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stepped retired of an EU acme to telephone his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, to little him astir a high-stakes statement connected whether to unfastened accession talks with Ukraine, which Orbán had fiercely resisted.

A transcript from the telephone conversation, recorded connected 14 December 2023, shows Lavrov encouraging Szijjártó to veto the decision. "Sometimes, good-willed nonstop blackmailing is the champion option," Lavrov is said to person told Szijjártó.

A previous story by the 5 media outlets showed Szijjártó actively discussing with Lavrov the removal of names from the EU sanctions list.

Szijjártó has not denied the contented of the revelations. Instead, helium has depicted the cascade of reports arsenic an undercover effort to meddle successful the 12 April elections.

The revelations travel astatine a clip of precocious tensions betwixt Orbán and his chap leaders implicit his decision to veto a €90 cardinal indebtedness to Ukraine astatine the past signifier of the process.

Meanwhile, a cross-party radical of 10 MEPs sent a missive to Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, requesting limitations connected the entree that "certain openly pro-Russian" lawmakers person to delicate information.

"We firmly judge that this concern (of leaks) undermines the work, spot and organization integrity of the European Parliament, arsenic good arsenic the information of our Union," the MEPs wrote successful the associated letter, seen by Euronews.

"The clip has travel to proactively code the prevailing interior weaknesses and information threats."