Just a few weeks before Hungary’s crucial parliamentary elections, a major political scandal has erupted, with Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó at its center. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has officially ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged wiretapping of the country’s top diplomat after media reports highlighted his confidential contacts with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. According to numerous findings cited by Western and regional media outlets, Szijjártó was said to have systematically passed sensitive information to Moscow about the course of EU deliberations, while the latest recording made public on March 31 allegedly concerns consultations surrounding further EU sanctions packages.
The scandal intensified after a high-profile report by The Washington Post, which stated that the Hungarian minister had maintained regular contact with Lavrov for years shortly before or immediately after meetings of EU foreign ministers, and according to some sources, this communication even took place during breaks in the sessions. Although Szijjártó initially categorically rejected these reports as disinformation, he later softened his position, admitting that he does in fact speak with the Russian minister about the agenda and decisions being taken, while portraying it as part of standard and transparent diplomatic practice.
In response to these reports, Viktor Orbán announced on March 23 that he was instructing the security services to investigate the alleged wiretapping of the minister. Available analyses suggest, however, that the government’s attention is focused primarily on the surveillance of Szijjártó’s phone itself and the leaking of the materials to the public, rather than on formally identifying those responsible among specific states or foreign intelligence agencies. It is also worth noting that no credible evidence has so far been presented to substantiate public suggestions that Polish intelligence services were involved in the operation.
At the same time, Szabolcs Panyi, a well-known Hungarian investigative journalist working with Direkt36 and VSquare, found himself at the center of the affair. Orbán’s government leveled serious accusations against him, alleging that he had engaged in espionage on behalf of a foreign state and had helped identify Minister Szijjártó’s phone number for the purposes of an investigation into his Russian ties. The journalist has firmly denied these claims, arguing that he has become the target of a cynical smear campaign. In this context, the Associated Press recalled that Panyi had previously been targeted with Pegasus spyware, reinforcing his argument that he, rather than government officials, is the real victim of unlawful state actions.
The European Commission has not issued a final verdict on the matter, although it described the media reports as extremely troubling and sent Budapest an official request for explanations. EU institutions have therefore given the case high political significance, while stopping short of presenting their own evidence or binding investigative conclusions.
The affair immediately triggered a wave of reactions across Europe. Donald Tusk stated that the reports of Budapest’s close ties with Moscow confirmed longstanding concerns expressed by Poland and other countries in the region. According to Reuters, the Polish prime minister also revealed that signals coming from Lithuania suggested Hungary could pose a genuine risk of information leaks within NATO and EU structures. This indicates that the current scandal is being viewed not as an isolated incident, but as confirmation of a broader systemic problem of trust in Viktor Orbán’s policy toward the Russian Federation.
The political calendar adds further drama to the situation, as Hungary is in the middle of a heated campaign ahead of elections scheduled for April 12, with the ruling coalition facing strong pressure from a consolidated opposition. Reuters notes that the timing of the recordings’ release is particularly unfortunate for the government, especially given that since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Budapest has adopted a far more conciliatory stance toward Russia than the rest of the European community.
