Viktor Orban was accused of “selling out” to Vladimir Putin during a press conference in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
The Hungarian Prime Minister was outlining his plans for his six-month tenure of the presidency of the Council of the European Union when he was interrupted by an opposition activist.
Márton Gyekiczki ran towards the podium where Orban sat, throwing a stack of what appeared to be banknotes at the politician.
“How much did you sell out the country for? How much did you sell out the country for, Mr Prime Minister?” Gyekiczki yelled as the papers scattered.
“He sold out to Putin, he sold out to Xi Jinping!”
The activist was quickly overpowered by a security guard and then escorted out of the room.
Orban was quick to make light of the situation, telling his audience: “When a Hungarian politician tells another one that he is a scoundrel, all it means in our culture is that ‘I disagree with you.’”
Gyekiczki is a member of Hungary’s Democratic Coalition party and a local council member in a Budapest suburb.
The leader of his party, former Prime Minister Ference Gyurcsány, later praised Gyekiczki in a social media post, saying he was “proud” of him.
“We will say it everywhere and always: Hungary has a traitorous government!” he wrote.
Orban is increasingly seen as an authoritarian leader by many EU politicians, who are pushing Brussels to block funds to Hungary’s government over corruption allegations and its democratic backsliding.
His close relations with both Russia and China have also prompted concern among European leaders.
In July, Orban visited Putin in Moscow and held talks with the Russian President about the war in Ukraine.
His visit was strongly criticised by EU officials, who said the trip threatened to undermine the 27-member bloc’s stance on the conflict and stressed that he was not representing Brussels.
During his press conference in Strasbourg, the Hungarian Prime Minister lamented what he sees as a declining EU economy and lagging competitiveness with the United States and China.
He also argued against recently adopted EU tariffs on Chinese-produced electric vehicles, and railed against immigration.