Orban accuses SBU of sabotaging Hungary’s populist referendum
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Hungarian PM Viktor Orban accused Ukraine of meddling in Hungary’s internal affairs and conspiring with opposition party Tisza, Magyar Nemzet news outlet reported on May 13.
Orban made the remarks following a meeting of Hungary’s Defense Council. He described the alleged interference as an “unprecedented attack from Ukraine’s intelligence services” and claimed Kyiv was behind a coordinated campaign intended to disrupt the government’s initiative to gauge Hungarian public opinion on Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.
The PM also said that Ukraine’s SBU security service has “renewed its contacts in Hungary” and, through a local politician, launched an “attack” against the Hungarian military.
“Thus, the Hungarian opposition party has actively participated in a special operation by Ukrainian intelligence,” said Orban.
He pledged to carry on with the non-binding referendum, adding that “neither Brussels nor Kyiv can make decisions on behalf of the Hungarian people.”
On May 9, the SBU announced it had exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattya Oblast. Two Hungarian agents were detained during the investigation, which alleged they had collected data on regional military defenses, examined the region’s air defense systems, and surveyed local residents about the potential seizure of the area by Hungarian forces.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó later said Budapest had not received any official notification from Ukraine on this matter, accusing Kyiv of disseminating “baseless anti-Hungarian propaganda.”
In late March, Orban’s government announced plans to hold a nationwide poll ostensibly asking the Hungarians if they approve of Ukraine joining the EU. The accompanying government information materials, however, misrepresent the terms of accession and its economic impact.
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