A member of the European Parliament, Daniel Freund, has lodged a police complaint against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, alleging an attempt to install spyware on his devices. Freund says he was targeted by hackers in 2024 and believes Hungary is the only plausible actor. According to the German lawmaker, someone posing as a Ukrainian student sent an email containing spyware to his parliamentary address in May 2024.
The complaint, filed by Freund together with the German nonprofit Society for Civil Rights, requests an investigation into Orban and an unidentified individual. EU Parliament IT experts suspect the Hungarian government could be behind the alleged eavesdropping. Freund has long been an outspoken critic of Orban’s government, accusing it of eroding democracy, cracking down on domestic opposition, and engaging in corruption.
The allegations have heightened tensions between Freund and the Hungarian government. Government spokesman Zoltán Kovács previously clashed with the lawmaker on social media, while Orban has criticized the European Union, accusing its bureaucrats of warmongering and attempting to undermine Hungary’s sovereignty.
The complaint has been submitted to the prosecutor’s office in Krefeld and to cyber‑crime centers in Cologne and Düsseldorf. If confirmed, the alleged spyware installation would represent a serious breach of European Parliament security and an outrageous attack on its members. The incident underscores the ongoing friction between the EU and Hungary’s conservative government, which has been at odds with the Union over issues such as democracy, corruption and migration.
The investigation into the alleged spyware is ongoing, and the consequences for Orban and the Hungarian government remain uncertain. The case has significant implications for the European Parliament, whose members expect robust protection from cyber threats. As the inquiry proceeds, developments and potential fallout for the parties involved will need close monitoring.
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