Hello Europe Podcast Podcast
Russia's Vladimir Putin, a model for the Hungarian Viktor Orban
Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban meet for the seventh time since the Hungarian Prime Minister returned to power in 2010.
Just after his election, Viktor Orban made his first official trip to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin. The head of the Russian state seems to be a model for the strong man of Hungary. Today, the Russian influence is growing stronger in Hungary. In nine years of power, Viktor Orban has " poutinised " Hungary.
The signs of this poutinization
Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made the same reforms as his Russian model. He has passed laws attacking NGOs, freedom of the press, religious freedom or the independence of the Constitutional Court. Russian influence is also very visible in public speech. The Hungarian right systematically takes over the communication of the Kremlin. For example, at the time of the revolution in Ukraine, Orban's right relayed the thesis that the protesters of Maidan Square were terrorists paid by the United States. She also criticized a CIA report that Russia intervened to help Donald Trump's election.
These Kremlin theses are abundantly relayed by the media empire built by Viktor Orban . An empire that broadcasts information from media very close to the Kremlin, such as Sputnik or Russia Today. These Hungarian media often copy and paste without even changing a comma.
According to several observers, Hungary has become the Trojan horse of the Kremlin in Europe. They cite the fact that the Hungarian Prime Minister vetoed NATO meetings, which were to deal with the war in Ukraine. This diplomatic game would benefit Vladimir Putin.
Suspicions about the presence of Russian secret services
The International Investment Bank , a mysterious Russian bank, is suspected of being a branch of the Russian secret service, which has the effect of worrying the United States.
On Tuesday, the US embassy in Budapest said: " Russia can use the presence of this bank in Hungary to introduce malicious Russian actors within the Schengen area ." These suspicions are reinforced by the profile of the director of this bank. Nikolai Kosov is the heir of a family of spies. His father, mother and grandfather worked for the main intelligence service of the post-Stalinist USSR KGB.
According to the Hungarian government, this bank will provide its shareholders, including Hungary, with new economic opportunities. For the Hungarian opposition, it is a nest of spies in the service of Vladimir Putin who settles in Hungary.
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