Hungary at the crossroads between Europe and "dictators"

Hungary's upcoming election is about whether the country can cement its place as a European nation and, with key European Union (EU) funding, revive its stagnant economy, or whether it will turn east and fall into the authoritarian camp, opposition leader Peter Magyar told Reuters.

In the April 12 vote, Hungary's center-right Tisza party poses the most serious threat to the sixteen-year grip on power of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his model of what he calls "illiberal democracy."

The elections will also be a test for Europe's far-right forces, at a time when the EU is facing an increasingly assertive Russia, the war in Ukraine, and the diplomatic and economic challenges of Donald Trump's presidency under the slogan "Make America Great Again."

The Hungarian, speaking during the campaign, criticized Orban's close relations with Russia and other former Soviet republics, such as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, as well as his decision to grant Hungary observer status in the Organization of Turkic States.

"This will be a referendum: I think it's clear that the choice is between Europe or a Turkish council and a dictator," the Hungarian said in an interview in Salgotarjan, a former mining town, after a rally that drew hundreds of people in cold weather.

"It's about whether Hungary will continue these 16 years of regression... or whether we will move towards Europe and development, joining the Poles, Slovenians, Czechs and the Baltic states."

Orban has presented Hungary as a bridge between "Eastern traditions and Western institutions" and says the country must be pragmatic in pursuing its economic interests.

The Hungarian, whose Tisza party has increased its lead over Orban's Fidesz, according to the latest opinion poll, said that if his party wins the election, it would reach an agreement with Brussels to unblock funds suspended under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRF) due to Orban's rule of law reforms, as well as cohesion funds for infrastructure financing.

The deadline for accessing the RRF funds expires at the end of August, after which they would be forfeited. The Hungarian said his government would act quickly to meet the rule of law conditions for their release.

"I sincerely hope that we will be able to sign the agreement quickly and that, after an agreement in principle, perhaps even before the adoption of the law, the disbursement of funds will begin," he said.

Hungary has had around €17 billion in EU funds frozen due to its failure to respect the rule of law under Orbán. The bulk of this relates to the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), under which Hungary still has almost €11 billion available.

The forint has strengthened recently, partly due to expectations of a possible Tisa victory and the unfreezing of EU funds, analysts say.

The Hungarian said his government would strive for “constructive and friendly” relations with the United States.

"Europe is in a very difficult situation economically, socially and in security policy, so we need to cooperate with the Trump administration... and I will strive for the same," he said.

Trump personally endorsed Orbán in the April elections, calling him "a truly strong and powerful leader," while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that US-Hungarian relations under Orbán were entering a "golden age."

Speaking about Ukraine, the Hungarian said he hoped a ceasefire could be reached "perhaps even before the Hungarian elections," followed by a long-term peace agreement with international security guarantees for Kiev.

The Trump administration is mediating peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, but so far there are no signs that the four-year war will end anytime soon.

Orban has presented the Hungarian election as a stark choice between “war or peace,” arguing that the Tisza would drag the country into the conflict in Ukraine, a message reinforced by state television, which is controlled by the government, but rejected by Hungary’s party.

The Hungarian reiterated that the Tisza government would not send troops or weapons to Ukraine, but rather to "support the peace process."