Péter Mátyás, the leader of the Hungarian opposition party Tisza, has accused Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of inciting state agencies to dismantle the party’s IT infrastructure. Mátyás made the allegations via a post on Facebook, responding to a report by the investigative journalism center Direkt36.
The investigation revealed that police had seized equipment and servers containing sensitive information related to Tisza. Authorities claimed their actions were based on an anonymous tip regarding the distribution of pornography, but it was later clarified that the individuals involved were party staff and volunteers maintaining the IT systems.
According to Direkt36, Hungary’s intelligence services were also implicated in the operation. The Constitutional Protection Office (CPO) initiated police proceedings for the confiscation of the technology and requested the involvement of a national security expert during the searches.
National Intelligence Agency personnel participated in the seizure and analysis of data from the servers. Reports indicated that intelligence officials had prior knowledge of attempts to compromise Tisza’s IT systems.
Three young men, previously active within the party, were identified as attempting to gain control over the Tisza application, which aims to facilitate organization among the party’s supporters. In October and November, an unknown party published a list of 220,000 users from the application online.
One of the individuals involved in the operations to seize and dismantle Tisza’s IT systems claimed to his associates that he was a member of a larger organization. Direkt36 obtained reports detailing various hacking attempts directed at Tisza, which were submitted to senior police officials in Hungary.
The reports suggested that one of the three men involved in the attempts to disrupt Tisza’s systems might have connections to the CPO. The Hungarian Ministry of the Interior acknowledged receipt of these reports but stated they were unaware of any involvement of intelligence services in the hacking attempts and expressed disappointment regarding police participation in the matter.
Tisza officials expressed concerns to Direkt36 that their IT systems could become targets for cyberattacks as elections approach.
Mátyás specifically implicated Viktor Orbán in the unfolding situation, stating, “Hungarian intelligence services, under the orders of Viktor Orbán and his family, have worked against Tisza, which is preparing for a change in government. This case, dubbed ‘Orbán-gate,’ is reminiscent of the worst times of communism and is more serious than the American Watergate scandal involving President Nixon.”
He characterized the intent to dismantle Tisza’s IT infrastructure as a “coup attempt against a free Hungary.”
“The Tisza party government will hold both politicians and intelligence leaders accountable for their actions before the Hungarian judicial system,” Mátyás stated.
Péter Mátyás, leader of the Tisza party, has accused Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of orchestrating efforts to sabotage the party's IT systems. This follows a police operation that seized critical technology under controversial circumstances, raising concerns about political interference ahead of upcoming elections.
Source: Direkt36