The Hungarian minister who revealed EU secrets to the Russians over the phone: the shocking investigation that shakes the halls of Brussels

A journalistic investigation shakes the European Union and raises serious questions about the protection of sensitive data in Brussels. The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, is accused of having shared "regularly" details of EU Council meetings with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

According to the Washington Post , Szijjártó allegedly exploited breaks during closed-door summits to secretly call Moscow, circumventing strict internal confidentiality. The European Commission has described the revelations as "very concerning" and has requested formal explanations from Budapest.

In Brussels, there are fears of a systemic impact: trust among member states is considered an essential prerequisite for managing critical issues such as the war in Ukraine, the sanctions regime, and common security.

The timing adds political tension, with Hungary just three weeks away from a crucial vote. The Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is under pressure from Tisza: the opposition leader, Péter Magyar, has already promised that, if victorious, he will open an investigation for "treason", a crime punishable in the country by up to life imprisonment.

The controversy has crossed national borders: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that secret contacts with Moscow "should not surprise anyone," provoking a swift response from the Hungarian government. Szijjártó accused Tusk of electoral interference, while the government labeled the investigation as "fake news" and a disgraceful political attack.

The context confirms that relations between Budapest and the Kremlin have never been interrupted. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hungary has maintained an intense dialogue with Moscow, contrary to the rest of the EU.

Szijjártó has traveled to Russia at least 16 times, the last on March 4, 2026, meeting with Vladimir Putin to reaffirm Hungary's dependence on Russian oil and gas supplies. In parallel, Budapest has often slowed down or diluted European initiatives on sanctions and funding to Kiev. Currently, there is no publicly available technical evidence, such as logs or recordings, that can incontrovertibly document the alleged "leaks", leaving the matter in the realm of journalistic reconstructions.

However, if the accusations were confirmed, the EU could be forced to take unprecedented measures, including limiting the circulation of sensitive documents and revising security procedures to isolate any potential leaks attributable to individual governments.