Vladimir Putin’s grip on Europe is slipping — and the next blow may come from one of his oldest allies. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, long seen as the Kremlin’s most reliable friend inside the European Union, is facing a potential political reckoning.

Thousands of Hungarians gathered outside the Parliament Building in Budapest to protest a sweeping new bill introduced by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party— widely seen as a direct attack on press freedom, civil society, and democratic pluralism. The bill, deceptively titled On the Transparency of Public Life, targets media outlets, NGOs, and civic organizations that receive foreign funding— including EU grants.