Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe European Commission is investigating claims that Hungary spied on EU institutions, following reports by Direkt36 and other media. Hungary denies the allegations.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission will set up an internal group to examine allegations that Hungary has been spying on European institutions, a spokesperson for the Commission said on Thursday.
The allegations were made following a joint investigation by Hungarian nonprofit investigative journalism group Direkt36 and newspapers including Belgium's De Tijd and German magazine Der Spiegel.
"The Commission is taking note of all the reporting today, according to which there have been espionage operations pursued by a Hungarian intelligence service against the EU and members of its staff. The Commission takes such allegations very seriously," the Commission spokesperson said.
"We will be setting up an internal group to look into these allegations."
A spokesperson for Hungary's permanent representation to the EU in Brussels said a European Parliament lawmaker asked Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto about the allegations during a committee meeting on Thursday.
“I have no knowledge of any procedure corresponding to the claims made by these so-called investigative portals,” Szijjarto was quoted as saying to the lawmaker.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Julia Payne; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten, Sharon Singleton, Rod Nickel)
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding treaties, and managing the day-to-day operations of the EU.
Cybersecurity refers to the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks, which can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and damage to systems.
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism that seeks to uncover the truth about complex issues, often involving in-depth research and reporting on matters of public interest.
Financial institutions are organizations that provide financial services, such as banks, credit unions, insurance companies, and investment firms, facilitating transactions and managing money.
Espionage is the practice of spying or using spies to obtain secret or confidential information, typically related to national security or corporate interests.
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