MADRID: The European Commission on Thursday urged the Hungarian government to explain itself on what it said were “extremely concerning” reports about possible leaks of information to Russia.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will raise the issue at leaders level as well, a Commission spokesperson told reporters in Brussels.
“The alleged revelations .. highlight the alarming possibility of a member states’ government coordinating with Russia, thus actively working against the security and the interests of the EU and all its citizens,” she said.
“This is extremely concerning, and it is for the government in question to explain itself as a matter of urgency.” A series of leaked conversations have seemed to show how Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government and his foreign minister Peter Szijjarto have worked to serve Russian interests and undermine EU efforts to aid Ukraine.
Observers and NGOs have raised concerns about Sunday’s Hungarian presidential election taking place on an “uneven playing field” as nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces popular challenger Peter Magyar.
During Orban’s 16-year tenure, his ruling coalition has used its supermajority to overhaul the electoral system and leverage state resources to campaign, while his business allies radically changed the media environment.
