EU Commission Confirms Hungarian Spy Network Operated in Brussels

A European Commission investigation has officially confirmed the existence of a Hungarian spy network that operated from Hungary's permanent representation to the European Union in Brussels. The network's activities intensified significantly around 2015, according to a document obtained by Politico. The investigation, initiated in April by European Commissioner for Anti-Fraud Pjotr Serafin, examined allegations that Hungarian intelligence officers, stationed at the EU mission, attempted to recruit officials from European institutions in the mid-2010s.

According to the findings, Hungarian intelligence services dispatched multiple operatives under diplomatic cover to the Brussels mission between 2013 and 2016. While their initial activities were discreet, they became considerably more overt from 2015 onwards. The report notes that these heightened activities became known among Hungarian officials working within EU institutions, which the Commission assessed as diminishing the effectiveness of their operations. The report indicates that these activities ceased around 2016.

Oliver Varhelji, who headed the Hungarian mission in Brussels from 2015 and is now the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, has denied any knowledge of these alleged intelligence operations. He stated in the past that no Hungarian or any other intelligence services approached him, nor was he ever asked to pass on confidential information. Varhelji did not respond to requests for comment on the latest investigation findings.

The European Commission's investigation did not establish individual responsibility beyond the intelligence operatives themselves. The document states that, due to limited investigative mechanisms, it was impossible to determine individual accountability or the involvement of other persons. However, the report officially confirms the existence of the network and identifies European Commission officials, particularly those of Hungarian nationality, as its primary targets. The operatives reportedly used their diplomatic status to conduct tasks beyond normal diplomatic activities, aiming to establish contacts with officials within the Commission.