Brussels mounts pressure on Hungarian EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi over spy probe

Published on 10/10/2025 - 15:45 GMT+2

Pressure mounts connected the Hungarian European Commissioner for Health Olivér Várhelyi, aft an probe by respective media outlets claimed that an alleged spy ringing was operated from Hungary's imperishable practice successful Brussels astatine the clip erstwhile helium was ambassador there.

According to the outlets, the alleged spy ringing was actively recruiting Hungarian nationals arsenic informants to summation entree to delicate Hungarian files.

It is not wide whether Várhelyi was alert of covert quality operations against EU institutions from his embassy. But present European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to sermon the substance with Várhelyi.

"It is so the volition of president von der Leyen to rise it with Commissioner Várhelyi astatine the earliest convenience," Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho told journalists.

On Thursday, the Commission announced the constitution of an interior moving radical to motorboat a probe into the allegations.

Most of those activities allegedly happened betwixt 2012 and 2018, during a play erstwhile relations betwixt Budapest and Brussels soured implicit questions regarding regularisation of law, democracy, and media state successful Hungary.

Between 2015 and 2019, the embassy was led by Várhelyi.

EU instrumentality experts inquire whether Várhelyi tin enactment on

In a missive addressed to the European Parliament, seen by Euronews, 60 professors from 30 European countries question whether Várhelyi tin proceed to service arsenic Commissioner.

The letter, signed by the Good Lobby professors, including Alberto Alemanno, reminds parliamentarians that the alleged activities astir Várhelyi would look fundamentally incompatible with the rule of independency required of each Commissioners.

Those principles are enshrined successful the Treaty connected European Union (TEU), unneurotic with the rule of loyalty to the union, which requires Commissioners to enactment solely successful the wide involvement of the 27-member bloc and to refrain from immoderate enactment incompatible with their duties.

The scholars, who sent the missive to the chairs of Parliamentary committees that earlier approved Várhelyi's candidacy to the post, said that the contented could perchance undermine spot successful the EU institutions.

Transparency International (TI) has demanded that the European Parliament found an enquiry committee into the issue. According to TI, a swift and decisive organization effect is needed.

“If true, these disgraceful allegations that Hungary sought to spy connected the EU itself further show (Prime Minister) Viktor Orbán’s flagrant disregard for the regularisation of instrumentality crossed the union,” Nick Aiossa, manager astatine Transparency International, said.

So far, neither the Hungarian imperishable practice successful Brussels nor Várhelyi person reacted to the allegations since they were made public.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó played down the contented connected Thursday erstwhile asked astir the allegations successful the Hungarian parliament.