<article>An investigative report by Direkt36 has revealed allegations that Hungarian intelligence services conducted operations against the opposition TISZA Party's IT infrastructure ahead of April 12 parliamentary elections, prompting opposition leader Magyar Péter to compare the scandal to Watergate.The investigation, published Monday in Telex, documents police raids on homes of two TISZA-affiliated IT specialists in July 2025, ostensibly investigating child exploitation allegations that yielded no evidence. Instead, seized devices contained messages showing an unknown operative—identified as "Henry"—attempting to infiltrate the party's digital systems."This is worse than the American Watergate scandal that brought down President Nixon," Magyar Péter stated in a video response. "Hungarian intelligence services, under orders from Viktor Orbán, worked against TISZA as we approached government formation."According to Direkt36's reporting, the Constitution Protection Authority initiated the investigation before an anonymous tip reached police, with security service personnel conducting evidence collection. Messages attributed to "Henry" threatened the 19-year-old programmer known as "Gundalf," demanding he cease supporting TISZA: "Stop supporting your political community. Everything will be seen if not done."The operative allegedly coordinated data breaches, including a June incident that exposed personal information of 20,000 TISZA supporters—names, addresses, and phone numbers published online. "The Visszhang database goes public...the names will sing now too," Henry wrote in messages predating the leak.Government sources have not commented on the allegations as of Monday evening. Gergely Gulyás, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, did not respond to requests for statement. The Interior Ministry, which oversees intelligence services, declined to address specific operational claims.The revelations arrive 19 days before elections that could reshape Hungary's relationship with the European Union. TISZA has surged in polling, with some surveys showing the opposition party competitive with Fidesz for the first time since 2010. European Commission officials have closely monitored rule-of-law conditions in Hungary, with the country facing ongoing Article 7 proceedings.Opposition figures characterized the allegations as confirmation of systemic abuse. stated of the LMP party. Analysts noted the timing raises questions about institutional independence. said , political scientist at . The investigation documents that authorities redirected focus toward a hidden camera device rather than investigating identity, despite evidence of coordinated infiltration attempts. National Security Services personnel participated in raids that seized computers and phones from both IT specialists.In Hungary, as across the region, national sovereignty and European integration exist in constant tension. The government has consistently defended Hungarian institutions against what it characterizes as Brussels interference, while opposition parties argue Fidesz has captured state apparatus for partisan purposes.The scandal has energized TISZA supporters ahead of the final campaign stretch. declared. International observers from the will monitor the April 12 vote. The election will determine whether continues its confrontational stance with or pivots toward engagement with EU institutions on rule-of-law reforms that could unlock billions in frozen funding.</article>
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