Hungarian prosecutors raid Orbán party servers in surprise move
Hungarian prosecutors raided a Budapest data centre housing opposition Fidesz party servers, seizing communications infrastructure in a probe of cultural fund grants critics call political persecution.
According to Brussels Signal, the chief prosecutor’s office of Bács-Kiskun county in southern Hungary confirmed the July 21 operation was part of a criminal investigation into grants distributed through the National Cultural Fund. Prosecution spokeswoman Marianna Bodó stated the case involves suspected embezzlement and other offences but declined to provide additional details.
The raid targeted a Telekom data centre in Budapest, where investigators appeared without warning and moved to seize the party’s entire communications infrastructure and databases. Bertalan Havasi, Fidesz communications director, emphasized there had been no precedent for such action in Hungary since the end of communist rule in 1990.
János Lázár, a Fidesz MP who served as building and transport minister under Viktor Orbán, condemned the operation as a politically motivated vendetta rather than legitimate accountability. He characterized the prosecution service’s interest in the personal data of Fidesz voters as extremely dangerous and incompatible with democratic political culture.
The fidesz.hu website and party email addresses remained unavailable for much of the day following the seizure, as Brussels Signal reports.
Investigation Targets Cultural Fund Grants
The probe centers on a temporary panel within the National Cultural Fund that prosecutors allege approved 1,079 grants worth more than 17 billion forints (€47 million) in violation of established rules from late 2024 onward. A significant portion of the funds reportedly flowed to performers, companies and associations with ties to Fidesz, several of which participated in the party’s election campaign.
Six individuals were detained in June, including former Fidesz MP Attila Ughy, who chaired the body responsible for distributing the money, and Balázs Bús, a former vice-president of the fund. The court in Kecskemét remanded all six in custody for 30 days. All have denied wrongdoing.
Magyar Government Tightens Grip on Power
Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated he learned of the raid from Fidesz itself and was awaiting an official statement from prosecutors. Since taking office in May with a two-thirds majority, his Tisza party has moved aggressively to consolidate power, amending the constitution to end the term of President Tamás Sulyok and introducing retroactive eligibility rules that bar Orbán from returning to office.
Fidesz MEPs have accused the Hungarian Government of prioritizing political vendetta over governance, though the European Parliament declined to debate the charge this month.
A regional criminal directorate of the National Tax and Customs Administration participated in the search operation alongside prosecutors.
With information from Brussels Signal
