Hungary’s Orban tries to shed his Putin links ahead of Elections

 

It's not just France that is going to pose this April Hungary also is gearing up for its parliamentary election with a war next door the Hungarian prime minister has a hard task ahead of him Putin's invasion of Ukraine has planned Europe's far right into an identity crisis of sorts he is struggling to justify his loyalty to Vladimir Putin with the public's overwhelming solidarity with Kiev until last month was one of Putin's biggest cheerleaders he was said to be the closest European leader to the Russian president but since the invasion orban is desperate to shed his Putin linkages ahead of the key elections the 58 year old is pivoting from Russia and backing the European union when it comes to the tough sanctions against Moscow for urban his close links with the Russian president have become a liability one that he has to shed to improve his re-election chances the anti-migrant leader has also welcomed over 200 000 refugees from Ukraine victor orban is the Eu's longest serving head of government this year's election was doubted to be the most closely contested especially since urban's return to power in 2010 but now he is portraying himself as a strong leader one who can stop the war from spilling into Hungary polls suggest that Hungarians are more likely to stick with him especially as the fighting rages on at its borders.