Hungary is finally cleaning house. In a significant departure from the previous Fidesz government’s years of cozying up to Moscow, Foreign Minister Anita Orbán has ordered 10 Russian diplomats to leave Budapest.
The move, described as a necessary step to protect Hungarian security and sovereignty, follows a series of aggressive actions by Russia that have forced a change in Budapest's foreign policy.
Since taking office in April, Prime Minister Péter Magyar has pivoted away from the appeasement strategies of his predecessor, Viktor Orbán, explicitly labeling Russia’s conduct in Ukraine a threat to global order and the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia.
The previous administration had long been criticized for shielding Russian intelligence assets within the embassy, with reports suggesting that nearly half of the Russian staff in Budapest held ties to intelligence agencies.
While the Kremlin has predictably lashed out, threatening a 'harsh and painful' response, the Hungarian government is standing its ground. By demanding accountability for 'unacceptable' activities, Budapest is signaling that the era of prioritizing cheap oil over national security and European stability is over.
This expulsion marks a long-overdue assertion of Hungarian independence and a clear rejection of the influence operations that have plagued the region for years.
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