Sunday’s elections in Hungary, which could end longtime premier Viktor Orban’s hold on power, have raised concerns in Israel about what a new government in Budapest could mean for its standing in Europe.

Those concerns center mainly around Hungary’s role as one of Israel’s most reliable allies inside the European Union — often willing to break ranks to shield Jerusalem from criticism or punitive measures that require unanimity among member states.

Orban has repeatedly demonstrated close political alignment with US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has often been at odds with broader EU policy. Over the past year, he made Hungary the only EU member state to join Trump’s international Board of Peace, and announced Hungary’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, which in November issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli premier.

Netanyahu heaped praise on Orban last month, effectively endorsing the longtime leader who he said “has been like a rock.”

But while Orban’s support has been politically significant, Hungary’s practical impact on EU policy has been more limited than often assumed, and a change in Hungarian leadership is unlikely to radically shift bilateral relations, experts say.

Opinion polls have shown Orban’s Fidesz party trailing Peter Magyar’s upstart center-right opposition Tisza party by 7-9 percentage points, with Tisza at around 38-41%.

Despite Tisza’s poll lead, analysts caution that the outcome remains uncertain, with many voters undecided, a redrawing of the electoral map in favor of Fidesz, and a high proportion of ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries who mostly support the ruling party.

Spokespeople for Orban’s office and for the opposing Tisza party were not available for comment.

While Orban’s government has taken significant measures to support Israel in international forums, its ability to block EU moves against Israel has affected rhetoric more than policy, a European diplomat familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel.

Certain statements condemning Israeli actions — such as high-casualty military strikes during its war with Hamas in Gaza — that the bloc sought to issue on behalf of all 27 countries were often blocked by Hungary, forcing........

© The Times of Israel