Péter Magyar, whose centre‑right Tisza Party is seen as posing the strongest challenge to Orbán’s nearly 16‑year rule ahead of the parliamentary election in April, said journalists had received a link on Tuesday showing a room under camera surveillance.
He added this was connected to plans to publish a “secretly recorded” and “possibly manipulated” video involving him and his then‑girlfriend.
“I suspect they are planning to release to the public a recording made with secret‑service tools and possibly manipulated, in which my then‑girlfriend and I can be seen during an intimate encounter,” Magyar wrote on X.
Magyar said the alleged operation appeared timed to coincide with Wednesday which will mark the second anniversary of an explosive interview he gave in February 2024.
During that interview with Hungarian independent media outlet Partizán, Magyar accused Orbán’s officials of corruption and of wielding smear campaigns to tear down political opponents.
“It seems that on the anniversary they will launch a Russian‑style campaign that was previously considered unimaginable,” he said.
Péter Magyar has emerged as the biggest rival to Orbán as Hungary heads toward parliamentary elections.
‘A symbolic day for Fidesz’
Referring to Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party, in power since 2010, Magyar said: “This is obviously a symbolic day for Fidesz as well, because it was then that their seemingly unshakeable power began to crumble.”
“They are preparing for it – not in the way normal people would, by facing up to it and apologizing, but with blackmail and threats.”
‘I will not give in to blackmail’
In a message directed to what Magyar termed “Fidesz fear-mongers”, the opposition leader said: “Bring it on, falsify whatever you want, I will not give in to blackmail or threats. Neither to the Hungarian political-economic mafia, nor to the members of the international network that supports them.”
Last year, Magyar also accused Orbán’s government of orchestrating a large‑scale cyberattack that resulted in the leak of personal data belonging to thousands of his party’s supporters.
Magyar accused Orbán’s government of orchestrating a large‑scale cyberattack on Tisza last year.
Orbán’s strongest rival
Magyar has rapidly emerged as the biggest rival to Orbán in years as the country heads toward parliamentary elections on April 12.
His Tisza party unveiled its election manifesto on Saturday, pledging to pursue a pro‑Western foreign policy and to end Hungary’s long‑standing dependence on Russian energy if elected to power.
Orbán, by contrast, has frequently clashed with Western allies, often breaking ranks on foreign‑policy issues despite Hungary being a member of both the EU and NATO.
The nationalist leader has also maintained close ties with the Kremlin despite Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and is widely viewed as the EU’s most pro‑Russian leader.
Most independent opinion polls give Tisza an 8‑to‑16‑percentage‑point lead over Fidesz among decided voters.