novayagazeta.eu
Moscow’s man on the inside. Viktor Orbán is facing his biggest electoral challenge in years. Russia is doing everything it can to ensure his victory. — Novaya Gazeta Europe
On April 12, Hungarians will go to the polls to decide the fate of one of the E.U.'s most Russia-friendly leaders. The vote comes amid a wave of bombshell reports detailing secret communications between Russian and Hungarian officials, leaving little doubt that Budapest's efforts to impede E.U. sanctions in recent years were made at Moscow's direct behest. The Kremlin has a lot to lose if the prime minister is voted out, and according to Hungarian media, it’s going to great lengths to secure his victory. But Orbán wasn't always the Putin-praising right-wing populist he is today; in fact, he began his career as just the opposite. Novaya Gazeta Europe traces Orbán’s transformation and details the Kremlin's bid to keep him in power.