A small-town mayor is set to take on Prime Minister Viktor Orban in 2022 parliamentary elections, after winning an opposition primary. Peter Marki-Zay will represent a broad spectrum of parties who have joined forces to oust Orban and his ruling Fidesz party.

The papers react to US allegations that China is willing to offer military aid to Russia in the war against Ukraine. Also, we look at how another of Vladimir Putin's allies, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is distancing himself from Russia ahead of legislative elections next month. Finally, Emmanuel Macron gets a roasting in the British papers over attempts to (sartorially) emulate Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky!

Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared victory in Hungary's parliamentary election after partial results showed his ruling Fidesz party is comfortably ahead of their opposition rivals.

Fanny Facsar reports from Budapest, Barbara Wesel from Brussels.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Brussels are at odds again. Hungary refuses to support the planned oil embargo against Russia. But now even former allies such as Poland are turning their backs.

Hungary's government is "holding European Union decision makers hostage" by refusing to join an EU-wide embargo on Russian oil, according to Lithuania's foreign minister. This comes as EU leaders continue their efforts to gather support for a sixth sanctions package on Russia from all 27 EU member states. The government of PM Viktor Orban has claimed that an import ban on Russian oil would ruin the Hungarian economy. Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis tells FRANCE 24 that "Europe is weaker" as a result, and that he is "still hoping Budapest will be responsible in their decisions".

In the week that EU leaders agreed on a sixth round of sanctions against Russia, Polish Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Pawel Jablonski speaks to FRANCE 24 about the effect he hopes the measures will have on the Russian economy, his disappointment at the Hungarian government's stance regarding sanctions and the latest developments in Poland's rule of law dispute with the European Commission.

For the latest edition of Europe Now, we head to Poland and Hungary. These two EU members both border Ukraine and have both taken in large numbers of Ukrainian refugees. But on more political issues, their governments' responses to the war have been drastically different. Our team meets lawmakers from across the political spectrum of both countries to discover why the Polish and Hungarian governments have taken such different stances. We also explore other key issues, such as the ever-expanding EU files on degradations of rule of law.

Hungarian leader Orban looks increasingly isolated —his pro-Putin stance has cost him most of his allies in the EU; the bloc could end up blocking all funds. And, there are protests at home for the first time in years.

Hungary's far-right ruling party has proposed weakening the European Parliament and the EU's political integration. The passed resolution said democracy in the bloc was at a "dead end."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is not known for his restraint, but he may have finally gone too far with a speech railing against "mixed-race" populations. A close adviser has stepped down — and fallout continues.

Hungary blocks finalization of EU sanctions package – DW's Christine Mhundwa reports