Overview
- The European Commission, which called the reports "extremely worrying" on Monday, asked Budapest to explain claims that Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó relayed minister‑level discussions to Moscow, a concern Germany labeled very serious.
- Hungary rejected the accusations as fake and shifted focus to alleged eavesdropping, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ordering an inquiry after a pro‑government site published audio of a journalist discussing Szijjártó’s phone numbers, which the reporter said he used to verify research.
- EU diplomats are already narrowing who hears sensitive briefings, with Politico reporting leaders plan smaller formats and others saying security‑related details now circulate in tight groups or bilaterally to reduce exposure.
- The Washington Post reported that Szijjártó gave Sergei Lavrov live updates from EU meetings and that a Russian SVR unit drafted ideas to help Orbán’s campaign, including a proposal to stage an attack to recast the race, claims Budapest denies.
- The dispute breaks weeks before Hungary’s April 12 election, as opposition leader Péter Magyar calls the alleged conduct treason and Poland’s Donald Tusk says longtime suspicions about leaks from Budapest match the pattern seen in earlier spying reports.