Magyar Péter, leader of the opposition TISZA Movement, issued an extraordinary demand on Friday that Russian military intelligence (GRU) officers be expelled from Hungary, citing reports they have arrived in Budapest with the explicit purpose of influencing the upcoming April elections.
In a statement reported by 444.hu, Magyar drew a parallel to Hungary's darkest historical moment: "Kádár János after, Orbán Viktor is the first to invite the Russians into our homeland. We demand the immediate cessation of external interference in Hungarian elections."
The comparison to 1956 resonates deeply in Hungarian politics. That year, Soviet tanks crushed the Hungarian Revolution, leading to decades of communist rule under Kádár, who requested Soviet military intervention to maintain power. Magyar's invocation of this historical trauma underscores the gravity of his allegations.
According to Magyar's statement, information from multiple sources indicates that GRU operatives arrived in Budapest weeks ago, operating under diplomatic cover. He cited Moldova as a precedent, where Russian intelligence allegedly interfered in recent elections.
"It is utterly unprecedented that a failing government would use external interference to influence Hungarian elections in its own interest," Magyar declared. He called for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to "immediately halt the operation and expel Russian intelligence agents arriving under diplomatic cover."
Magyar demanded the immediate convening of the National Security Committee and briefing on the matter. As leader of what he termed "the incoming government," he requested information about what intelligence allied countries have provided the Hungarian government regarding Russian interference, and why no action has been taken.
