Hungarian elections: An Orban victory would mean the European Union would have to take drastic measures regarding Hungary.

 Two months before the Hungarian elections, incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orban must face the reality that independent polls predict his defeat by his main rival, Peter Magyar. The latest polls show a gap of a full ten percentage points, which would overturn the current balance of power in the Hungarian parliament, which currently sees a qualified two-thirds majority in favor of the incumbent Prime Minister's party. This finding is contradicted by polls from institutions close to the government, which, on the contrary, show the Prime Minister's party leading by six percentage points. Election day is set for April 12th, and the time has come for Orban to reiterate the key points of his electoral platform, both exaggerating and exaggerating certain concepts he believes are crucial to his success. While his opponent has promised greater membership in the European Union and a vigorous fight against corruption, Orban has gone so far as to argue that the real threat to Hungary is not Russia but the European Union itself, of which it persists in remaining a member and whose funds sustain the country's economy it lavishly exploits. Indeed, the Hungarian prime minister, despite repeated attacks against Brussels, has never clearly expressed his desire to leave the Union. However, he has not failed, even in recent rallies, to characterize the European Union as an oppressive machine for his country, which, in fact, has tolerated too much of the illiberal laws enacted during his five terms in office, the last four of which have been consecutive. In reality, Brussels' condemnations of illiberal laws, especially in the areas of justice, civil rights, and information, have always been insufficient and have failed to produce any change of direction, thus contravening European legislation itself. Hungary remains the EU member state closest to Russia and anti-Ukraine, and particularly close to the ideological positions of US President Trump, especially as the German Chancellor's recent statement defined Europe as completely at odds with the ideas of the "Make American Great Again" movement. In this role of internal opposition to European ideals, Budapest can count on Slovakia and, more generally, on the sovereignist parties present throughout Europe, which, however, are currently in a minority compared to pro-European sentiments. The impression is that Brussels is awaiting the outcome of the Hungarian elections, without exposing itself too much, hoping for a victory for Orbán's opponents, who promise greater European integration. Should the current prime minister win, sanctions against Budapest will be necessary, even potentially leading to expulsion from the Union, even if this would require changing existing laws. This eventuality requires a lengthy process, and in the meantime, Brussels' severity could be felt through the progressive reduction of funding and the reduction of Hungary's importance within the Union. Moreover, programs designed to find solutions to speed up decisions can only facilitate decisions and heavy sanctions against those members who stray too far from the Union's goals, merely exploiting its funding without contributing to common development. A Europe that must find its own dimension of autonomy, especially from the US, but also from China, and capable of controlling Russia, cannot tolerate the presence of disruptive elements such as the current Hungary or Slovakia. A possible victory for Orban will inevitably lead to Budapest's estrangement, and it matters little whether it can return to Russia's orbit; for Europe, it will be a significant burden lessened.