Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has deployed a secret network of intelligence agents to spy on European Union institutions, according to a report published Thursday by De Tijd.
The revelations come from a joint investigation by De Tijd, Hungarian NGO Direkt36, Paper Trail Media, German magazine Der Spiegel, and Austrian newspaper Der Standard.
The operation allegedly began a decade ago, as tensions escalated between Orbán’s government and the European Commission.
Hungary’s intelligence agency, IH, reportedly sent agents to its permanent representation to the EU, where they officially worked on financial and economic matters. However, their true mission was to infiltrate and spy on EU institutions.
The investigation claims the methods used by these agents were unusually aggressive for an EU member state, resembling tactics associated with regimes like Russia or China.
Hungarian employees of the European Commission were reportedly approached and offered payment in exchange for internal information, such as meeting records.
Hungarian Minister of EU Affairs János Bóka speaking at a meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) ahead of Hungary's Council presidency.
Some EU officials of Hungarian origin were allegedly compelled to sign documents designating them as “secret collaborators” of Hungarian intelligence services.
The report also implicates Olivér Várhelyi, Hungary’s current European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.
The espionage operation reportedly intensified during his tenure at Hungary’s EU representation from 2015 to late 2019.
Commission to investigate
The European Commission has announced the formation of a special internal team to investigate allegations of Hungarian espionage within EU institutions.
A Commission spokesperson, Balazs Ujvari, stated that such allegations are taken "very seriously" and reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to protecting its staff, information, and networks from illegal intelligence-gathering.
He confirmed the plan to establish an internal group to examine the claims but declined to comment further, citing "operational security."
Regarding Várhelyi, the spokesperson emphasised that EU Commissioners undergo thorough vetting, including a hearing in the European Parliament, before their appointment. They are also legally bound to act independently and with integrity under EU rules.
Ursula von der Leyen's spokesperson did not specify whether the Commission President plans to discuss the matter with Várhelyi or take any additional measures but noted that "this type of information inevitably reaches the President."
'Biggest scandals'
Earlier in the day, Belgian MEP Elio Di Rupo had called for an investigation into allegations that Hungary has been spying on European Union institutions.
"If this news is accurate, it would be one of the biggest scandals in the history of the EU," Di Rupo said during a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday.
He called for an immediate clarification of the situation through a special ad hoc committee. "If the preliminary analyses confirm these allegations, I will demand a full investigative committee of the European Parliament," the Belgian Socialist added.
Hungary's Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner-Designate for Health and Animal Welfare, at the confirmation hearing at the European Parliament, 6 November, credit: EP
"If the reports are true, it is yet more evidence that the EU’s treaties are not adapted to current realities."
Fellow MEP Sara Matthieu of the Flemish green party Groen echoed the call for a thorough investigation, stating the matter "must be examined to its core."
"The involvement of EU Commissioner Várhelyi is explosive. If it turns out he was actively involved in espionage, he cannot remain in his position," Matthieu warned.
She urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to initiate an independent investigation and enforce strict consequences if the claims are proven.
