BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� The front-runner in Hungary’s parliamentary election said on Monday that an alleged backchannel between Budapest and Moscow should be investigated as 鈥渢reason” after the Washington Post reported that Hungary鈥檚 government has for years provided Russia with detailed information from EU Council meetings.
P茅ter Magyar, the main political opponent of Hungary’s long-serving leader Viktor Orb谩n, said in a social media post that Hungarian Foreign Minister P茅ter Szijj谩rto 鈥渁ppears to be colluding with Russia, thereby betraying Hungarian and European interests.”
鈥淚f confirmed, this would amount to treason, which carries a potential life sentence. A future TISZA government will immediately investigate the matter,鈥� Magyar wrote.
Tisza is Hungary鈥檚 main opposition party that is currently ahead in the polls three weeks before parliamentary elections. Their victory would unseat Orb谩n’s nationalist Fidesz party, which took power in 2010.
The Post, citing several current and former European security officials, found that Orb谩n鈥檚 government has long offered Moscow access to sensitive discussions within the European Union.
During breaks at EU meetings like last Thursday鈥檚 , Szijj谩rto made regular phone calls to provide his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, with 鈥渓ive reports on what鈥檚 been discussed鈥� and possible solutions, one of the European security officials said.
Through such calls, 鈥渆very single EU meeting for years has basically had Moscow behind the table,鈥� the official said.
Szijj谩rto has made 16 official visits to Moscow since Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, most recently on March 4 when he met with President Vladimir Putin. Szijj谩rto’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Orb谩n said he had instructed his government to launch a probe into alleged 鈥渨iretapping鈥� of Szijj谩rto he claims is evidenced in the Post report.
鈥淭he wiretapping of a government member is a serious attack on Hungary. I have instructed the Minister of Justice to immediately investigate the information regarding the wiretapping of P茅ter Szijj谩rt贸,鈥� Orb谩n said in a social media post. The European Commission said it was seeking information directly from Hungary concerning the allegations.
鈥淎 relationship of trust between member states and between the institution is fundamental for the work of the EU,鈥� said commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper on Monday. 鈥淲e expect the Hungarian government to provide clarifications.鈥�
Relations between Hungary and fellow EU members, strained since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, took a nosedive this month after Orb谩n backtracked on an agreement to provide Kyiv with a 90-billion euro ($104 billion) loan.
鈥淭he news that Orb谩n鈥檚 people inform Moscow about EU Council meetings in every detail shouldn鈥檛 come as a surprise to anyone,鈥� Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has , in a social media post Sunday. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had our suspicions about that for a long time. That鈥檚 one reason why I take the floor only when strictly necessary and say just as much as necessary.鈥�
___ McNeil reported from Brussels.
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