"Russian methods"

Orbán’s opponent makes sex blackmail public

Peter Magyar could topple Viktor Orbán after 16 years.(Bild: AFP/Attila KISBENEDEK)

The election campaign in Hungary has reached a new low. Viktor Orbán's biggest challenger has gone public with claims that he is being blackmailed with a sex tape. In the midst of the election campaign, Péter Magyar speaks of a campaign using "Russian methods" designed to distract attention from an industrial scandal.

Orbán's opponent suspects that the Hungarian prime minister's party is behind this, as he changed sides "exactly" two years ago – and in a historic interview made serious allegations of corruption against the powerful head of government and his family clan.

"You cowards at Fidesz, go ahead, reveal everything, falsify it as you please, I will not be blackmailed or threatened," Magyar said in a long post on Platform X. He suspects that a recording made with secret service resources and possibly falsified is to be published, showing him and his then girlfriend in intimate acts. He was unable to provide any evidence to support this claim.

Website causes a stir
Pro-government media, on the other hand, spread rumors that the video contained an "orgy" with Magyar and his deputy Márk Radnai. Before Magyar's statement, a website appeared that was leaked to journalists. It shows only a still image of a rumpled bed with the note "Coming soon" (see image below).

There is already a website on the internet that is intended to blackmail Magyar.(Bild: Screenshot)

Deputy leader Radnai told Hungarian media that he did not recognize the room depicted. Rather, he said, the aim was to link him to a homosexual relationship in order to damage the party's standing among conservative voters. Orbán's Fidesz party is classified as homophobic by human rights organizations and deliberately restricts the rights of LGBTQ+ people.  

Magyar remains combative, but pointed out the need to protect his family: "Yes, I am a 45-year-old man and have a regular sex life with an adult partner. I have three minor children who are clearly ignored by this disgusting 'family-friendly' government." 

The opposition leader said he would not bow to "the Hungarian political-economic mafia or the members of the international network that supports them." "Hungary is not for sale; there is no price at which I would abandon my compatriots."

For Magyar, the campaign is a diversionary tactic designed to steer public discourse away from an industrial scandal. The investigative portal Telex reported on a Samsung battery factory in the city of Göd. Workers and residents there are said to have been exposed to carcinogenic substances.

The explosive accusation: between 2021 and 2023, the company knowingly endangered the health of its employees and was covered up by politicians. Orbán's foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, lobbied against the closure of the site, even though it exceeded health limits by a huge margin. Even the Hungarian secret service is said to have submitted a report on the serious violations. The South Korean company got away with a fine. 

Orbán's government speaks of a "tsunami of lies"
In recent years, the Hungarian government has provided massive support for the construction of battery factories by international investors. After the report was published, Magyar demanded Szijjártó's immediate resignation. The minister described the allegations as a "tsunami of lies" and announced legal action against Telex and Magyar. However, the Hungarian chief diplomat, who is also responsible for foreign investment, did not specify exactly what was false in the report. 

Szijjártó is said to have accepted the health risks for the workforce.(Bild: AFP/Attila Kisbenedek)

The political exchange comes at a particularly critical stage in the election campaign. Parliamentary elections are due to be held in Hungary on April 12. For the first time in his 16 years in office, Orbán faces a challenger with a realistic chance of winning.

Orbán has ruled with an iron fist with his Fidesz party since 2010. He has had a strong influence on the country's political system and controls many state institutions and a large part of the media. Magyar, himself a former Fidesz member, is considered his biggest challenger. According to political scientists, he comes from Orbán's inner circle of power, which is why he is so dangerous to him. After breaking with the government two years ago, the former lawyer made public allegations of corruption against Orbán's entourage and quickly rose to become the central figure of the opposition.

Rise of the Tisza Party raises hopes
Magyar's Tisza Party ("Respect and Freedom") celebrated a major success in the 2024 European elections, when it received almost 30 percent of the vote from a standing start and established itself as the strongest opposition force. Current polls show the party ahead of the ruling Fidesz in some cases. This means that a change of power in Hungary seems possible again for the first time after 16 years of uninterrupted rule by Orbán. As a result of this rise, attacks by Orbán and pro-government media on Magyar have recently intensified significantly.