Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has become the first foreign leader to publicly clash with Hungary's newly elected Prime Minister Péter Magyar, just a day after the country's parliamentary elections.
Magyar's Tisza Party achieved a landslide victory in the elections, ending the 16-year rule of Viktor Orbán, who throughout this period had maintained close political relations with Vučić.
In an interview with Serbian state broadcaster Vučić dismissed Magyar’s previous statements as “nonsense.” His reaction came after the Hungarian leader suggested he had knowledge of the behind-the-scenes of a political alliance involving Orbán, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Vučić himself.
During an international press conference, Magyar stated that he was aware of political developments in Serbia and the relations between regional leaders, adding that he also had an idea of "who is behind these great friendships."
Vučić reacted sharply to these allegations, publicly challenging Magyar to provide concrete answers. He hinted that the statements could allude to Vladimir Putin's involvement, but called them irresponsible.
The Serbian president added that, if he had not shown care for relations with Hungary and the Hungarian community in Serbia, he would have condemned the new Hungarian prime minister's statement even more harshly.
