According to the results of a joint investigation by the Hungarian investigative journalism center Direkt36 and the Belgian publication De Tijd, it turned out that Hungarian intelligence spied on European officials who came to the country on official visits.
Points of attention
- Hungarian special services conducted surveillance on EU officials, including tapping phone conversations and searching hotel rooms, raising concerns about privacy violations and security threats.
- The aggressive tactics employed by Hungarian authorities, such as procurement of spyware and cyberattacks against regime critics, have led to restrictions on intelligence sharing with NATO.
- The controversy surrounding Hungarian special services' actions highlights the need for transparency, accountability, and adherence to international norms in intelligence operations to maintain trust and cooperation among allies.
- Accusations of hacking phones and cyberattacks on government critics have intensified scrutiny on Hungary's intelligence practices and its implications on diplomatic relations within the EU and NATO.
- The allegations of spying on European officials and the resulting scandal emphasize the importance of upholding privacy rights and ethical conduct in surveillance activities to prevent breaches of trust and violations of international norms.
What is known about Hungarian special services spying on European officials
It is noted that employees of the Information Management of Hungary searched the hotel rooms where EU officials were staying, and also listened to their telephone conversations.
They followed, among other things, the investigators of the European Bureau in the fight against fraud, which was investigating the case of a Hungarian company, the owner of which was the son-in-law of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The investigation materials emphasize that from 2015 to 2017, when EU officials worked for OLAF and came to Hungary, they became objects of surveillance while traveling in cars, and their telephone conversations were tapped.
It is common practice for Hungarian intelligence to search the hotel rooms of visiting EU delegations and download data from their laptops.
What is known about the accusations of the Hungarian authorities of wiretapping European officials, journalists and activists
The Hungarian authorities have long been accused of hacking the phones of journalists, activists and opposition politicians.
In 2021, a Hungarian lawmaker admitted that the government had acquired Israeli spy software.
In the same year, a cyber attack was carried out on one of the deputies of the European Parliament, who was critical of the leadership of Hungary, led by Viktor Orbán.
Concerns about the position of the Hungarian authorities regarding the North Atlantic Alliance led to the fact that NATO limited the exchange of information, including intelligence, with Hungary.
