Orbán's government has launched a "national petition" against EU support for Ukraine

This week, the Hungarian government launched another nationwide campaign called "national petition" against further financial and military support for Ukraine from the European Union. The start of the campaign on Tuesday, 27 January, was announced by Hungarian State Secretary János Nagy, DW reports.

According to him, letters with the text of the petition are already being sent to households across the country. In them, citizens are asked to express their position on "financing the Russian-Ukrainian war," supporting the functioning of the Ukrainian state over the next 10 years, and the possible increase in utility rates due to the war. Responses from Hungarians will be accepted until 23 March, less than three weeks before the parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 April.

Observers note that such polls, which are financed from the state budget, are in fact used to legitimise the political course of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The campaign is expected to be accompanied by active advertising on billboards, as well as in television and online commercials. Against the backdrop of economic stagnation in the country, these elections could be the most difficult for Orbán since 2010.

At the same time, the Hungarian authorities are trying to portray opposition leader Péter Magyar as a "puppet of Brussels" who allegedly seeks to raise funds for Kyiv at the expense of harsh austerity measures for Hungarians themselves. Magyar himself rejects these accusations and claims that the petition is intended to divert public attention from domestic problems.

Official Kyiv has already responded to Budapest's actions. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said that the period of diplomatic ignorance of anti-Ukrainian statements by the Orbán government is over. According to him, Ukraine will respond decisively to any unfriendly steps and attempts to use the Ukrainian issue in the domestic election campaign in Hungary.

Source and illustration: DW.

Viktor Orbán, Hungary, Péter Magyar, Budapest, Ukraine