Hungarian intelligence services spied on EU officials – investigation

Hungarian intelligence agencies are suspected of illegally spying on European officials while they were visiting the country. The espionage was uncovered by Hungarian and Belgian journalists. However, the head of the press office of Prime Minister Viktor Orban called the information “fake,” without confirming or denying it.

Politiko reported this with reference to a joint investigation by Direct36 and De Tilj. Journalists discovered that between 2015 and 2017, employees of the Hungarian Information Office (IN) spied on officials of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). At that time, OLAF employees investigated the activities of companies associated with Viktor Orbán, in particular a firm owned by the son-in-law of the country's prime minister.

“The report cites examples from 2015 to 2017 when OLAF officials traveling to Hungary were physically harassed during car rides and had their phones tapped,” the publication reports. 

In the investigation, it is noted that Hungarian intelligence also searched the hotel rooms of EU delegations and hacked their laptops, downloading confidential information of officials. The head of the press service of Orban's office, Bertalan Havasi, when asked by Politico about the investigation of journalists, answered that: “We do not deal with fake news.” 

The publication noted that Hungary has long been accused of hacking the phones of journalists, activists and representatives of the opposition. It is noted that in 2024, one of the members of the European Parliament, who is critical of Budapest, suffered a cyber attack. 

“In 2021, one of the Hungarian deputies admitted that the government had purchased Israeli spy software,” the publication recalls.