A political storm has erupted in Hungary after reports that one of the country’s intelligence services allegedly tried to infiltrate the main opposition party to undermine its election prospects. The revelations, revealed by investigative outlet Direkt36, have alarmed critics who say the episode echoes tactics from authoritarian and Communist eras and raises urgent questions about the political neutrality of state agencies.
According to the reporting, the Constitution Protection Office (Alkotmányvédelmi Hivatal), one of Hungary’s five intelligence bodies, mounted an operation beginning in July 2025 aimed at gaining access to the Tisza Party’s internal systems. The service is said to have targeted two technicians who maintained the party’s IT infrastructure, attempting to recruit them and, when that failed, to seize their computer hardware through what a whistleblower describes as a fabricated criminal lead.
The timing is politically explosive. By mid‑2025, opinion polls showed the Tisza Party well ahead of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz and suggested the opposition could win the parliamentary vote scheduled for April 12, 2026. While there is no direct evidence that Orbán ordered the operation, the Constitution Protection Office reports to the prime minister’s office, and opponents say that structural link makes political misuse a serious risk.
The story centres on Bence Szabó, a former police captain from the National Bureau of Investigation’s cybercrime unit. In a lengthy interview published by Direkt36, Szabó — who resigned and has since been dismissed from the force — described pressure from the intelligence service to pursue an alleged child‑pornography case against the two IT workers and to seize their equipment. He says his unit was told to find incriminating material; when he refused, the intelligence service reportedly copied data from the confiscated devices without authorization.
Last autumn, around 200,000 personal records of Tisza supporters were leaked via the party’s app and published online. The government and Fidesz blamed Ukraine because Ukrainian IT experts had been involved in developing the app. Szabó’s testimony suggests an alternative chain of events: that elements connected to the Hungarian security apparatus may have been responsible for the breach or for exploiting the data, rather than foreign actors.
The government has not denied that the intelligence services were involved; instead officials have framed the actions as counter‑espionage against alleged Ukrainian interference, but they have provided few verifiable details. One of the young technicians has been publicly labeled a Ukrainian spy without publicly presented evidence; the government released footage of a 19‑year‑old’s interrogation by the Constitution Protection Office. Meanwhile Szabó himself has been charged with misconduct in public office. Investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, known for reporting on alleged Kremlin links to the Hungarian state, has also been accused of espionage — charges he calls baseless.
The disclosures and the viral video interview with Szabó — watched by millions — have galvanised the opposition and mobilised parts of civil society. Tisza leader Péter Magyar warned the government against further moves against Szabó, while Szabó says he acted out of professional oath and conscience rather than for personal acclaim.
Analysts say the affair poses a grave test for Hungarian democracy. Direkt36 co‑founder András Petho said the episode raises fundamental doubts about whether state agencies are operating impartially. Political scientist Miklós Sukosd compared the events to the twilight of Communist rule, arguing that a governing party unwilling to concede power may resort to extra‑legal tactics.
Prime Minister Orbán has not addressed the allegations in detail, instead reiterating accusations against Kyiv and, at a campaign rally, issuing a metaphorical warning — later widely reported — about still having “a few bullets left in the magazine”. The line has been read by critics as further proof of a confrontational tone from the government.
As the election approaches, the dispute has sharpened public debate about the independence of security services, the use of state power in politics, and the integrity of Hungary’s electoral process. The investigation and legal proceedings that follow will be closely watched at home and abroad for what they reveal about the balance between state security, political power and democratic norms.
This report was originally published in German.