Russian agents of influence in Hungary as part of the European network

There is a connection between Hungary and the Russian propaganda-promoting Russian influence network within the European Union. The Czech Republic, which stated that the purpose of the disclosed network of Russian agents of influence in the EU, including the Voice of Europe website, was to obstruct aid for Ukraine, has placed the media on a list of state sanctions.

It’s possible that the Hungarians involved have connections to another news website that also disseminates Russian propaganda, as reported by Daily News Hungary. Hungarians are among the politicians from the EU who might be engaged in this case.

Members of Russian influence network in Budapest identified – media

According to sources with knowledge of the specifics of the intelligence operations, Hvg.hu has learned that the counterintelligence agency tracked down two members of the Russian influence network residing in Budapest.

They are two Hungarian citizens, one French and the other French-Hungarian, who reside in Budapest. They are involved in far-right circles and have regular communication with Hungarian officials, the report said.

The owner of the website voiceofeurope.com is based in Prague and is active on Facebook and X. The Voice of Europe website went down and is not anymore available to readers. However, in addition to the Voice of Europe news website, the Hungarian stakeholders might also be connected to another news websites that disseminate Russian propaganda, according to information from hvg.hu.

Czech government disclosed a Russian influence network

Last week, the Czech government reported to have discovered Moscow’s scheme to spread Russian propaganda in Europe and bribe European politicians, including members of the European Parliament. At the center of the scandal involving the bribery of politicians has been the Voice of Europe news website, (voiceofeurope.com).

Following claims that Russia may have bribed certain MEPs to support its propaganda, members of the European Parliament demanded an immediate debate and inquiry.

Fearing the influence of the controversy on the approaching June European Parliament elections, political groups in the European Parliament announced that they would debate the matter and urge prompt action regarding the accusations of Russian meddling.

List of European politicians who were promoted by pro-Russian website

Following the Czech and Belgian authorities statements about Russia’s attempts to bribe MEPs to promote its propaganda through the Voice of Europe website, researchers found which European politicians were promoted by the pro-Russian website.

Anton Shekhovtsov, a visiting professor and researcher at Central European University and at the Research Center for the History of Transformations, published a list of European politicians who were promoted by the Russian agents of influence via its recently disclosed front organization “Voice of Europe” on YouTube, starting in August 2023.

However, there are no Hungarians in this list. Probably, the Hungarians mentioned in the local media, are not members of the European Parliament, or not active politicians at all.

Orban’s pro-Russian stance

It’s important to mention, that a pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian stance in Hungary is nothing extraordinary. The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is known for many statements that fit Russia’s agenda, like his declaration during a meeting with Putin in 2023. He opposes assistance to Ukraine to help the country fight Russia’s military invasion, and was blocking the EU financial aid to Kyiv.

Read also: Reasons behind Orban’s pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian stance

In December 2023, media reported that the Hungarian government was resuming and intensifying its campaign to vilify Ukraine. However, the Hungarian prime minister, Victor Orban, claimed Budapest is fighting Brussels, and Kyiv is just collateral damage.