Serbia's Aleksandar Vučić clashes with Péter Magyar over Putin 'godfather' remark

Published on 14/04/2026 - 9:25 GMT+2

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić became the archetypal overseas person to clash with Hungary's Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar, conscionable 1 time aft Sunday's parliamentary elections.

Magyar's Tisza Party secured a landslide triumph astatine the polls, ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year grip connected power. Orbán and Vučić had maintained adjacent governmental ties passim that period.

Speaking to Serbia's authorities broadcaster connected Monday night, Vučić dismissed Magyar's earlier remarks arsenic "stupid" aft the Hungarian person suggested helium knew who was orchestrating the governmental confederation betwixt Orbán, Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Vučić.

"I cognize precisely what is going connected successful Serbia, and I besides cognize what benignant of entanglement exists betwixt the Orbán authorities and Vučić-led Serbia, and betwixt Slovakia's Robert Fico and Viktor Orbán," Magyar said astatine an planetary property league connected Monday.

"I besides cognize astir who is down this — who is the godfather down these large friendships," helium added.

Vučić responded sharply during an interrogation with the Serbian authorities broadcaster.

"He said that helium knows who is down specified relations betwixt Orbán, Fico, and Vučić. And I inquire him: who is down it? Come on, reply me!" Vučić said.

"He has nary idea...implying that it mightiness beryllium Putin. If I were not acrophobic astir relations with Hungarians successful our state and with Hungary itself, I would telephone his connection foolish and irresponsible," Vučić added.

Magyar raises doubts implicit pipeline incident

At the aforesaid property conference, Magyar addressed the find of explosives adjacent the TurkStream state pipeline successful Serbia, adjacent to the Hungarian border, calling it an evident false-flag operation.

"During the electoral campaign, determination was an cognition that looked similar a mendacious emblem onslaught connected Easter Sunday," Magyar said. "My aboriginal authorities volition analyse precisely what happened and whether the information was real" — portion noting helium did not regularisation retired that it posed a genuine threat.

Serbian authorities announced connected 5 April that 2 bags of explosives had been recovered adjacent the pipeline, which carries Russian earthy state to Hungary.

Vučić said the probe would beryllium concluded and its findings shared with Magyar.

"Those findings volition amusement that helium was incorrect to judge the gossip of the tabloid media," Vučić said.

Despite the crisp exchanges, some leaders expressed a tendency to support bully bilateral relations. Vučić besides sent Magyar a congratulatory connection pursuing Sunday's election.