The Commission of Ursula von der Leyen investigates whether the representative of Hungary in his team of commissioners, Oliverwho currently holds the Health portfolio, was part of an alleged espionage network at the service of Viktor Orban who tried to infiltrate the EU institutions.
The network sought to recruit Hungarian citizens who worked in the Community Executive – not foreigners – in order to obtain internal EU information. The objective was to know in advance any measure that could affect Orbán, at a time of maximum tension between Brussels and Budapest.
The Hungarian intelligence service used various methods to approach them: economic incentiveshelp in their careers or appeals to patriotism. It is unknown how many were ultimately recruited.
At the time this network was operational, between 2015 and 2017, Várhelyi, one of Orbán’s trusted men, held the position of Hungarian ambassador to the European Union.
Therefore, the current Health Commissioner was then officially chief of agents of the Hungarian secret services deployed under diplomatic cover in the Permanent Representation.
The scandal has been uncovered by a journalistic consortium led by the hungarian portal Direct36 and in which the German has also participated The mirror y the belgians The standard y The Time.
“We take note of reports that there have been espionage operations carried out by a Hungarian intelligence service against the EU and members of its staff“he explained a spokesperson for the community Executive, Balazs Ujvari.
“The Commission takes these complaints very seriously. “We reaffirm our commitment to protecting Commission staff, information and networks from illicit espionage activities,” the spokesperson said.
“This is an operational security issue, so I can’t say much more. But what I can say is that we are going to launch a internal group to examine these complaints“, he concluded.
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The investigation will be led by Deputy Director General Ilkka Salmi, Deputy Director General for Workplace Safety and Welfare of the Commission, as advanced by the Financial Times. Salmi was previously director of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service and EU counter-terrorism coordinator.
Regarding Várhelyi’s alleged role in this espionage network, the spokesperson has indicated that it is the responsibility of the commissioners themselves to comply with the EU Treaty and the code of conduct that guides the actions of the Community Executive.
“In addition, upon assuming office they also undergo an exhaustive review process, which includes a hearing before the European Parliament,” added Ujvari. President Von der Leyen is aware of the allegations and the internal investigation.
Várhelyi has been part of the German team since her first term, in which she held the Expansion portfolio (2019-2024). Coinciding with the growing tensions between Orbán and Brussels, Von der Leyen has now demoted him to the Health portfolio.
According to the journalistic investigation, during Várhelyi’s years as Hungarian ambassador to the EU there were half a dozen secret service agents deployed under diplomatic cover in the permanent representation.
Although was not directly involved in covert operationshis position gave him knowledge that they were taking place and he was an end user of the data collected.
Várhelyi seemed to know exactly which Hungarian officials were working on Commission files questioning Orbán.
On one occasion, he complained directly to a senior official in the Community Executive that one of his Hungarian subordinates was supposedly “hostile” to the Government of his country, according to one of the witnesses cited.
The fall of V
The alleged Hungarian intelligence network in Brussels fell in 2017 due to the carelessness and recklessness of its boss, identified with the initial V. “He was a very nice and intelligent person.“says one of the Hungarian officials cited by You covered36who met with him every 3 or 6 months in a park in the Belgian capital.
V ended up confessing that he was an agent of the Hungarian secret services and asked him to sign a “declaration of collaboration” to officially make him a “secret collaborator.”
“He acted irresponsibly, so much so that even the EU itself noticed. He tried to recruit people in a completely blatant manner. There were EU employees who denounced him,” says a source familiar with the case.
“It was a serious matter. Basically we had to assume that everyone had fallen. The entire network had to be rebuilt from scratch,” says another source.
The information refers only to the past and does not explain what activities the Hungarian spy service is currently carrying out in Brussels.
Since then, tension between Brussels and Budapest has only increased. Orbán is Vladimir Putin’s closest ally within the EU right now. In fact, he went to visit him in Moscow during the Hungarian presidency in July of last year.
Furthermore, Hungary hinders the EU’s support for Ukraine as much as possible. For many months, it has blocked the disbursement of 6.6 billion military aid to Ukraine and also prevented the start of negotiations for kyiv’s entry into the club.