Hungary expels ten Russian diplomats over espionage concerns

Budapest expels several Moscow diplomats amid espionage concerns

Hungary expelled, ten Russian diplomats "in attempt to protect the country’s security and sovereignty," the country's new foreign minister, Anita Orbán said. Orbán added that the decision did not mean diplomatic relations with Moscow would be severed. A Russian-language news outlet had reported in April that nearly half of 47 Russian diplomats in Hungary could be linked to Russian intelligence. Moscow said it would retaliate, accusing Hungary of “Russophobia”, while the Russian foreign ministry's spokespreson Maria Zakharova told TASS that the response would be “harsh and painful”.

Allegations of Russian interference in Hungary peaked before April’s election, with Hungarian media reporting that Russia’s embassy in Budapest was involved in espionage, disinformation and efforts to support Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party.Orbán, who campaigned against Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged to maintain low energy prices through Russian supplies, was defeated by PM Péter Magyar’s Tisza party, which formed the government in May. On election night, thousands of young people celebrated in Budapest, chanting “Russians go home”, a slogan associated with the 1956 anti-Communist uprising.

Euronews: MEPs to end article 7 procedure against Hungary

The European Parliament is moving towards ending its Article 7 procedure against Hungary, launched in 2018 over concerns about violations of EU values under Viktor Orbán, Euronews reports. With PM Péter Magyar now leading the government and Hungary revising laws from the Orbán era, several MEPs and officials say parliament is reconsidering its position. A fact-finding mission is planned for late October, after which MEPs will assess the rule of law situation and could recommend ending the procedure. Some officials expect a decision as early as December, while the MEP leading the file expects a report in early 2027.

Ending the procedure would require a two-thirds majority, or 480 of the parliament’s 719 members. The EPP, which includes Magyar’s Tisza party, is expected to support withdrawal, while the Greens and The Left could oppose it. The positions of the Socialists and Democrats and Renew Europe are likely to be crucial. Both groups acknowledge Hungary’s progress but have called for a thorough assessment. One issue remains the law restricting school educational materials or TV shows depicting or promoting homosexuality, gender transition or a deviation from biological sex: Hungary has not repealed the legislation or signalled intends to do so.

EU court dismisses Hungary lawsuit over frozen Russian assets

The EU’s General Court has rejected a lawsuit by Hungary’s previous government over the use of income from frozen Russian central bank assets to support Ukraine. The Orbán government had sought to overturn the decision to channel the interest generated by the assets through the European Peace Facility, arguing that Hungary’s opposition had been disregarded and that this violated its rights as an EU member state. The court said it could not rule on the case because the decision concerned the EU’s common foreign and security policy, which is largely outside the jurisdiction of the EU judiciary.

The EU had allocated €6.1bn through the European Peace Facility for Ukraine’s military and defense needs between 2022 and 2024, before raising the facility’s ceiling by a further €5bn for a Ukraine Assistance Fund. The ruling comes after a major shift in Hungary’s foreign policy following April’s election: the new government now describes Russia as a threat.