Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó allegedly phoned Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during breaks at European Council meetings to brief him on confidential EU discussions, according to an investigation by The Washington Post published three weeks before Hungary's pivotal parliamentary election.
The Washington Post investigation alleges that the practice continued for several years, with Szijjártó providing real-time intelligence on EU deliberations concerning Russia, sanctions, and Ukraine policy. The report cites multiple European intelligence sources and intercepted communications.
"The allegations, if confirmed, would represent one of the most serious breaches of EU confidentiality in recent history," said Donald Tusk, Poland's Prime Minister and former European Council President, who told Hungarian media that the news "should surprise no one."
Szijjártó categorically denied the allegations, calling them "fabricated lies designed to interfere in Hungary's democratic election." The Foreign Ministry issued a statement describing the report as part of a coordinated campaign by "liberal media and opposition forces" to damage the government's electoral prospects.
The timing of the revelations is particularly significant. Hungary holds parliamentary elections on April 12, with polls showing opposition leader Magyar Péter's Tisza party leading Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz 48% to 39%—a striking reversal after fourteen years of Orbán's uninterrupted rule. Magyar, a former Fidesz insider turned opposition challenger, has campaigned on pledges to restore Hungary's standing in Brussels and end what he describes as "systematic corruption."
In Hungary, as across the region, national sovereignty and European integration exist in constant tension. The Orbán government has long defended its independent approach to Russia policy, maintaining diplomatic and economic ties that other EU members severed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Government supporters argue that Hungary's pragmatic relationship with Moscow serves national interests, particularly regarding energy security.
However, EU officials have expressed mounting concern about intelligence security at European Council meetings. "If a member state is actively sharing confidential deliberations with a hostile foreign power, it fundamentally undermines our ability to conduct diplomacy," said one senior EU diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity.
The allegations also complicate Hungary's already strained relationship with Brussels. The EU has frozen billions in funding over rule-of-law concerns, while Hungary has repeatedly used its veto power to block Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions packages, forcing other member states to find workarounds.
Opposition parties seized on the revelations. "This is not about national sovereignty—it's about betraying European allies for Putin's benefit," said Magyar Péter at a campaign rally in Nagykanizsa, where thousands gathered despite the traditionally Fidesz-dominated region. "On April 12, we can choose whether Hungary remains Putin's agent in Europe or rejoins the community of democratic nations."
The Washington Post investigation represents the latest in a series of damaging revelations for the Orbán government as the election approaches. Combined with growing evidence of Russian electoral interference and Magyar's unexpectedly strong campaign mobilization in rural areas, the espionage allegations have transformed what many expected to be a routine Fidesz victory into Hungary's most competitive election since 2010.
As of Sunday evening, neither the European Commission nor EU foreign policy chief had issued official statements on the allegations, though diplomatic sources indicated that emergency consultations were underway regarding intelligence-sharing protocols at future European Council meetings.
