Orbán’s secret service tries to intimidate pro-European mayor of Budapest

On Wednesday and Thursday, Viktor Orbán’s security service and the national tax administration raided and searched the houses of the colleagues of the pro-European democratic mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, including the office of his attorney, less than three weeks before the European and local elections. 

Gergely Karácsony delivered a shock defeat to the candidate of Orbán’s Fidesz party in the 2019 Budapest elections.  The security service and the tax administration searched private homes and the office of Gergely Karácsony’ attorney. Karácsony’s attorney has also represented other democratic opposition parties, and others who have been opposing the Viktor Orbán regime over more than the last ten years.

The Hungarian secret service collected political, sensitive and confidential data, which should never end up with the secret services in a democracy. European Green lead candidate Terry Reintke said: “These house searches show what happens when the far right is in power in a country. Intimidating the opposition is unacceptable in a democracy.

“The European Greens are committed to fighting against the far-right regime of Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán. We call on European Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen, and Europe’s national governments to condemn this action by the Viktor Orbán regime. Europe has to make sure that the rule of law is respected in Hungary. We will closely monitor the situation, as we are deeply concerned about using the secret service against the democratic opposition”.

The European Green Party voiced in March its support for Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony in the upcoming local elections, and we repeat this support today. A second victory in Budapest by incumbent mayor Gergely Karácsony is an essential step to make Hungary pro-European and democratic again. 

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