The election in Hungary

No easy ride for the EU in Hungarian power transition

The EU and Ukraine will likely have an easier life if Péter Magyar wins Sunday's Hungarian election, but that does not mean the country is making a political turnaround, writes TT.

Magyar left Fidesz as late as 2024 - he received his political upbringing and spent almost his entire political life in Orbán's government party, emphasizes Eric Maurice at the EPC think tank.

The opposition leader's party Tisza shares Fidesz's views on many issues, according to Hungary's Green mayor Gergely Karácsony.

- They kept quiet about the ban on a pride parade in Budapest, do not support EU membership for Ukraine and vote like Fidesz on important issues about Ukraine in the EU parliament.

The Orbán-controlled media have also contributed to making Hungarians some of the EU's biggest critics of Ukraine. According to an independent survey, 64 percent have a negative image of President Zelenskyj.

EU expert: Countries have been too cowardly towards Hungary

Hungary has long and seriously violated the EU's fundamental values, but there is no formal way to kick a member state out, EU expert Ylva Nilsson tells TV4 Nyheterna.

However, there are other penalties to be applied, such as freezing their voting rights in the Council of Ministers. Such a formal process has been ongoing against Hungary since 2018, but all member states must be unanimous, and no vote has yet been held.

- The countries are cowards. They are perhaps afraid that the same tool could be used against themselves in the future, says Nilsson.

There is also the possibility of freezing contributions if a member state has damaged the EU's financial interests. Here too, Nilsson thinks the EU could have been tougher.

The revelations about leaks to Russia will probably make the EU take a more serious view of Hungary, she believes - but much will be determined by who wins Sunday's election.

Expert: Orbánomics has led to a “systematically fragile” economy in Hungary

Over the past decade, Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán has promoted investment from China and attracted electric car manufacturers such as BYD to Hungary. Not least to make the country less dependent on the EU and the West.

But the rapprochement with China has caused the Hungarian economy to lag behind, says Mario Holzner at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies to SvD.

“The idea was that Hungary would have a strong and protected economy. In reality, a systematic fragility has been created in the economy,” he says.

According to critics, Orbánomics primarily benefits Orbán’s own close oligarchs. Price increases and inflation have become a heavy burden on Hungarian households, and Orbán’s investments in the economy could bring him down in the upcoming election.