The tension in relations between Budapest and Brussels is increasing.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán believes that the recent corruption scandal involving several members of the European Parliament has cast doubt on the trust in this institution, and therefore the body should be abolished in its current form.

According to the Associated Press, the statements came after the European Union froze more than 12 billion euros in funding to Hungary over fears that the Orbán government is cracking down on the independence of the judiciary, overseeing official corruption and restricting the rights of minorities.

Tensions in relations between Budapest and Brussels are exacerbated by the Hungarian government’s lobbying for the easing of sanctions against the Russian Federation, imposed for its war against Ukraine.

The position of Hungary and Orbán: details

Hungary regularly blocked the adoption of tough sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, demanding softening with Russian oil and gas, and issuing ultimatums for the absence of nuclear energy in the sanctions packages. Orban blocked the adoption of sanctions against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill.

Moreover, at the beginning of autumn, Orban called for the lifting of all sanctions on Russia by the end of this year, as they allegedly caused inflation and generally negatively affect the EU economy. Orban also publicly stated that Ukraine will not be able to defeat the Russian Federation with the current support of the North Atlantic Alliance countries.