Russian intelligence proposed a fake assassination attempt on Viktor Orbán, the incumbent Hungarian prime minister, to rescue his dwindling support ahead of a pivotal general election next month, the Washington Post has reported.
Orbán has persistently supported Moscow’s interests within the EU and NATO and is currently wielding his veto to block vital financial aid for Ukraine.
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But the nationalist’s 16-year rule is in jeopardy as he trails in the polls ahead of a parliamentary election on April 12.
‘Gamechanger’
In a bid to rescue Orbán’s chances, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) proposed what it called a “gamechanger” to “fundamentally alter the entire paradigm of the election campaign.”
An internal SVR report verified by European intelligence officers and seen by the Washington Post said the staged assassination attempt would “shift the perception of the campaign out of the rational realm of socioeconomic questions into an emotional one.”
The report argued that the event would change the focus of the election campaign onto “state security and the stability and defense of the political system.”
During his campaign for the 2024 US presidential election, Donald Trump survived a shooting, which led to widespread iconic images and a boost to his support levels.
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Orbán’s office declined to comment for the Washington Post, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the report as “disinformation.”
On Saturday, Orbán received a “complete and total endorsement” from Donald Trump.
See the original of this report by Ewan Jones for TVP World here.
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