Spying Charges Rock Hungarian Election Campaign in Final Stretch

Hungary’s election campaign took a darker turn in its final stretch with the government and opposition trading accusations of foreign espionage and manipulating law enforcement, just as Prime Minister Viktor Orban fights the biggest challenge to his 16-year rule.

An investigative report published by Direkt36 on Tuesday alleged that police had been directed, seemingly by security services, to raid the homes of two IT staff for the opposition Tisza party suspected of possessing child sexual abuse material. No such material was found and after the raids Tisza’s database of supporters was later leaked.