Hungarian FM accuses Brussels of election interference in Hungary

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has accused Brussels of participating in foreign intelligence interference in the country’s elections, following the European Commission’s reaction to media reports about his contacts with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Szijjártó said that a spokesperson for the European Commission had stated that the High Representative for Foreign Affairs would speak with him about his conversation with the Russian foreign minister during a break between EU Council meetings.

The minister stressed that he considers it natural to hold consultations with third countries, including Russia, when European Union decisions affect national interests. He added that similar contacts are maintained with the United States, Türkiye, Serbia, China, and other countries. Szijjártó emphasised that Hungary will not abandon the defence of its national interests despite external pressure.

According to The Washington Post, citing sources, Szijjártó held regular phone calls with Lavrov during breaks in meetings of EU foreign ministers. On March 23, the Hungarian government released an audio recording in which a journalist allegedly admits to passing the foreign minister’s phone numbers to foreign intelligence services for surveillance purposes.

By Jeyhun Aghazada