Information
A joint investigation by De Tijd, Direkt36, Der Spiegel, Der Standard, and Paper Trail Media has uncovered that Hungary’s intelligence agency, the Informacios Hivatal (IH), has operated a covert spy network within European Union institutions in Brussels for years. Drawing on insider testimonies from Hungarian intelligence circles, EU officials, and diplomatic sources, the investigation revealed that Hungarian agents posing as diplomats used their positions at the country’s permanent EU representation to collect information and attempt to recruit EU officials. Following the revelations, the European Commission announced it would open an official investigation into the espionage allegations.
The report detailed one particular case involving a Hungarian European Commission employee who was approached by a compatriot diplomat, known only as “V.,” between 2015 and 2017. V. attempted to recruit him as a paid informant for the IH, a proposal the civil servant refused, criticising the intelligence effort as serving the interests of a “power clique” linked to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The investigation also alleged that the current European Commissioner for Health, Oliver Várhelyi, oversaw and intensified these espionage activities during his tenure as head of Hungary’s EU representation, reportedly coordinating with intelligence leadership in Budapest. The Hungarian operation’s structure and methods, including the classification of agents using old KGB-style categories, drew comparisons to Russian espionage tactics rather than the actions of an EU member state.
Source: AFP, Reuters
So What
Though it isn’t uncommon to conduct intelligence collection on partner nations, and even sometimes allies, this report is highly likely to damage Hungary’s standing in the EU further. One potential consequence could be that Várhelyi loses their position due to a loss of trust following these allegations. Additionally, it is likely that member states will have lost even more trust in Hungary.
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