WP: Russian intelligence planned staged attack on Orban before elections
Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Getty Images)
Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service developed a plan to stage an assassination attempt on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, according to The Washington Post.
Details of the plot
Last month, a unit of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service became concerned over a sharp drop in Orban’s approval ratings. According to the report, operatives outlined a strategy in an internal document aimed at "fundamentally alter the entire paradigm of the election campaign."
The plan was to stage a demonstrative "attack" on the Hungarian prime minister.
"Such an incident will shift the perception of the campaign out of the rational realm of socioeconomic questions into an emotional one, where the key themes will become state security and the stability and defense of the political system," the document states.
No actual attempts on Orban’s life have taken place. Prime Minister spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs did not respond to journalists’ inquiries.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the report "disinformation."
What is happening in Hungary ahead of the election
In recent weeks, Orban’s team and the Fidesz party have been actively shifting voters’ focus from economic issues to external threats. In particular, Budapest blames Ukraine for the suspension of Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
Orban has also claimed alleged threats from Kyiv against him.
Meanwhile, in Hungary’s capital, another scenario is being discussed — what Orban might do if he loses. Former Fidesz lawmaker Zsuzsanna Szelényi believes the prime minister could take extreme steps.
If the opposition secures only a simple majority, Orban would still have many tools to make the new government’s work difficult.
According to her, he could provoke a constitutional crisis and declare a state of emergency.
