Hungary Weekly Brief: one month to Hungary’s election, energy pressure and Erbil
by Daily News Hungary
Welcome to the first edition of Hungary Insider, a weekly briefing from Daily News Hungary.
The week in one sentence
With less than a month to go before the Hungarian elections, political tensions, energy uncertainty, and security concerns dominated this week.
The 3+1 key stories of the week
Election countdown:
Hungary election 2026: one month to go – rules, new map and who’s on the ballot
The Hungarian parliamentary elections are fast approaching; there is less than a month to go—just 29 days remain. The new constituency boundaries and updated rules will play a decisive role in the election race. Alongside the ruling Fidesz-KDNP and Tisza, two smaller parties have a chance of making it into parliament.
Why this matters:
The campaign is entering its most decisive phase. There is little room for error at this point, and final campaign strategies have been set. Fidesz and Viktor Orbán aim to secure another victory by focusing on the international situation and messaging around war and peace, while Tisza is trying to appeal to voters by addressing everyday concerns. In four weeks, we’ll see whose strategy was better.
Middle East tension:
Hungarian troops withdraw from Iraq
An attack near the Erbil military base has raised questions about Hungary’s military presence in Iraq.
Why it matters:
Fidesz, the party currently in power with a parliamentary majority, waited for days but eventually withdrew Hungarian troops from the dangerous region. Currently, Viktor Orbán’s government’s main message to voters is that they want to stay out of wars, so the situation has become untenable.
The Italians withdrew their troops three days ago; the Hungarian leadership waited, presumably with the intention of convincing the Trump administration that winning the election is far more important than keeping Hungarian soldiers there and thereby demonstrating unity.
For Hungarian families, this is definitely a positive decision; fortunately, it has been a long time since a Hungarian soldier was killed on a foreign mission.
Our analysis before the decision of the government →
The withdrawal was confirmed by the Chief of the Hungarian Defence Staff today.
Was it a single powerless Ukrainian pensioner who threatened Viktor Orbán and his family, or was it the entire people of Ukraine?
Former MP warns: Orbán family may face threats from Ukraine
This is a very strange story! A retired member of parliament and former officer of the Ukrainian security service likes to voice his opinions on YouTube and spout nonsense on Petro Poroshenko’s online TV channel; in his most recent statement, he personally threatened Viktor Orbán and his family. This prompted Orbán and his campaign team to claim that the Ukrainians (!), meaning the entire nation, are now threatening his family as well.
Why this matters:
When the Hungarian prime minister reacts to the nonsense spouted by a retired Ukrainian man by calling his family on camera and assuring them that although the “Ukrainians” have threatened the family, the prime minister told them to stay calm because the “Ukrainians” cannot harm them!
There are several problems with this:
Perhaps the most important is that the Prime Minister is dragging his own family into the political battlefield. He shouldn’t have done that. It seems the campaign team is in big trouble if they resorted to such a tactic.
If a retired Ukrainian former member of parliament represents an entire nation, then we’re in big trouble.
If a country’s government takes this retired man’s nonsense seriously, and the Hungarian prime minister, foreign minister, and government press secretary respond to it, then we’re in big trouble.
Let’s hope they don’t continue with this otherwise recurring strategy, as an obvious misinterpretation of a story could scare off their own voters.
Watch the video and more details →
Nazi salute?
A controversial video has surfaced involving a Tisza parliamentary candidate
A video has emerged in the pro-government press alleging that Zsolt Tarkányi, a Tisza parliamentary candidate, used a Nazi salute at soccer matches.
Explanation from Tisza:
This is a well-known fan gesture used during group cheering and has nothing to do with the Nazis. They cheer from the bottom of their hearts, and this is what the fans are depicting. Fans of Ferencváros, Debrecen, and other teams sing in a similar way.
Everyone can decide for themselves whether this was a Nazi salute or not.
One thing is certain: the candidates are coming under attack, and these attacks are only expected to intensify as the campaign draws to a close.
Economic signals
Energy pressure:
Fuel price cap introduced, Hungary’s energy supply faces a double threat – Government briefing
The Hungarian government introduced a fuel price cap while warning that the country’s energy supply is under pressure from multiple directions.
Why it matters:
Energy security remains one of the most politically sensitive and economically important issues in Hungary. This is also one of the main campaign messages, so the government’s move was both expected and welcomed, winning the empathy of many voters.
Pipeline watch:
BREAKING: Zelenskyy sets timeframe to restart Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary
Ukraine’s president has indicated that when oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary, it could resume.
Why it matters:
Any disruption or restart of Druzhba directly affects Hungary’s oil supply and market stability.
According to the Ukrainians, the shutdown was caused by a Russian attack on the distribution center, while the Hungarian government believes that since Ukraine has not presented any evidence, they halted the supply themselves and no technical problem occurred. According to Viktor Orbán, it has already been proven that Ukraine committed state terrorism in connection with the sabotage of another oil pipeline, so they are capable of anything.
Everyone can decide for themselves who to believe; neither side has presented clear evidence to support their claims.
One thing is certain: Russian oil is not reaching Hungary via Ukraine.
Supply risk:
Attacks on TurkStream and Druzhba raise concerns over Hungary’s energy security
Developments around two major energy routes, TurkStream and Druzhba, have renewed concerns about Hungary’s vulnerability to external shocks.
Why it matters:
This is closely related to the previous topic. Due to its dependence on a few energy corridors, Hungary is vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions. Following the alleged sabotage of the Druzba pipeline, Moscow also claimed that the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline had been attacked by Ukraine.
We know that Russian statements are questionable, to put it mildly, but the Hungarian government has not done so, and they are treating the attack as a fact, even though no evidence has come to light.
Sanctions debate:
Hungary calls on EU to lift Russian oil sanctions after US eases restrictions – UPDATE: reactions
Budapest is urging Brussels to reconsider sanctions on Russian oil after Washington signalled a softer approach.
Why it matters:
The United States’ temporary lifting of sanctions on Russian oil has caused serious disruption in many parts of the world. The Hungarian government believes it has a clear case for working alongside Moscow to lift the sanctions. To them, it is obvious that it is worth doing business with the Russians who attacked Ukraine. The government’s simple message: Cheap Russian gas, low utility bills.
The EU, on the other hand, is not willing to let Russia off the hook. However, there is no doubt that they must find a solution to the Iranian conflict. Next week, we will see what steps the key players take.
Labour shortage:
Asian guest workers appear among waiters: Hungary’s hospitality sector struggles to fill jobs
Restaurants and hospitality businesses in Hungary are increasingly relying on Asian guest workers to fill labor shortages. And it’s not just the HoReCa sector that is looking to hire guest workers.
Why it matters:
The labour shortage in certain sectors of the Hungarian economy, particularly in the lower-wage service industry, is becoming increasingly structural in nature. This, in turn, jeopardizes the government’s economic plans.
At the same time, Fidesz and Viktor Orbán have completely destroyed the word “immigrant” in recent years.
Unfortunately, for many people, illegal immigrants and foreign workers are one and the same, which is why they oppose them.
There is no doubt, however, that the number of unemployed people in Hungary is minimal, which also means that additional workers are needed to operate the newly opened factories. This low unemployment rate poses a serious obstacle to the Hungarian economy.
However, the government cannot afford a mass influx of workers either, because that would anger its own voters.
Perhaps we will get a clearer picture of the situation after the elections.
Diplomacy watch
India-EU-Hungary
SIRHA 2026: Italy, Indonesia and Thailand had pavilons
Andrássy Universität Budapest: 25 years
A German-language university is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week!
We’d like to congratulate them on this milestone.
Click here to read the German Embassy’s congratulatory message
UK in Hungary
The United Kingdom is the 8th largest investor in Hungary: approximately 700 British companies operate in the country, employing more than 43,000 people. Ambassador Justin McKenzie Smith hosted a business luncheon at the ambassador’s residence yesterday as part of an investor forum. Details here→
Swiss Embassy-Hungarian National Bank
Ambassador Alexander Renggli met with Mihály Varga, Governor of the Hungarian National Bank. Facebook post here→
X. Italian Design Day
This year’s Italian Design Day was held at the Italian Cultural Institute in Budapest to great interest. Details in the Facebook post.
Meet Daily News Hungary-Helló Magyar
What to Watch Next Week
Tomorrow, Sunday, March 15, is National Day, and both Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and opposition leader Péter Magyar will address their respective supporters.
The election campaign is heating up, and new scandals could disrupt campaign strategies
Will Brussels follow Washington’s lead? Will the sanctions on Russian oil be lifted? What role does Budapest play in this?
Most Read on Daily News Hungary
Could Vienna and Budapest share the olympic flame?
Hulk urges Hungarians to vote a certain way in April
Citadella reopening: Budapest landmark with one of the city’s best panoramas welcomes visitors again