Brussels reacts to Hungarian espionage investigation

Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will discuss the espionage allegations with the Hungarian representative, European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, but excludes the possibility of removing the official from office at this stage. This was stated by EC spokesperson Paula Pinho to the question of Politico.

"So far, these are only allegations," the official said regarding whether Várhelyi would be suspended from his post during the European Commission's investigation.

According to Pinho, the EC takes Hungary's espionage allegations "very seriously," given their implications for the security and integrity of the EU.

The spokesperson also confirmed that the head of the European Commission intends to discuss this issue directly with Várhelyi.

"She [von der Leyen] has not yet had the occasion to do so, but this will happen at the earliest opportunity," the official added.

The spokesperson emphasized that the EC is "determined" to protect its staff, information and networks from any attempts to illegally collect information.

A Hungarian lawyer and diplomat, Várhelyi has been the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety since December 1, 2024. Previously, since 2019, he was the Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement.

• The day before, on October 9, the European Commission announced that the institution would set up a special group to investigate information about Hungary's intelligence operations against EU officials.
• Earlier, Spiegel, De Tijd, and Direkt36 published a joint journalistic investigation that concluded that one of the spies was a certain V., who worked in Brussels under diplomatic cover in 2015-2017.
• The media claim that the agent's superior was Várhelyi, who at the time served as ambassador to the European Union.
• The investigation alleges that the Budapest agent tried to recruit a European Commission official.