Hungary’s Prime Minister-elect Peter Magyar has accused outgoing Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó of shredding confidential documents related to sanctions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Speaking at a press conference in Budapest on Monday, Magyar claimed insider sources confirmed the destruction began after Szijjártó appeared at the ministry at 10 a.m., following his absence from Viktor Orbán’s speech the previous day.
The allegations come just a day after Magyar’s Tisza Party secured a landslide victory, clinching a two-thirds majority in Hungary’s parliament. He asserted that the shredding is not limited to the foreign ministry but extends to other institutions tied to Orbán’s elite circles. Magyar emphasized that the destruction of sanctions-related materials—potentially linked to Hungary’s controversial ties with Russia—has been ongoing for days.
During the election campaign, Szijjártó faced scrutiny for his close relationship with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Critics have accused him of offering assistance to remove Russian individuals from the EU’s sanctions list, a charge that gains weight with Magyar’s latest claims. The foreign affairs ministry has yet to respond to the allegations.
Shifting to foreign policy in his address, Magyar expressed pride in Hungary’s membership in the EU and NATO, despite acknowledging the EU’s bureaucratic complexities and lobbying networks. He distanced himself from Orbán’s combative stance toward Brussels, stating his intent to seek compromises rather than conflict for the sake of domestic political messaging.
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“I am sure we will have debates, but we are not going there to fight for the sake of fighting,” Magyar said, signaling a potential recalibration of Hungary’s often contentious EU relations.
Magyar also raised concerns over transparency in the transition process, noting that Orbán has failed to share critical information with the incoming government. This lack of cooperation, paired with the alleged document destruction, paints a troubling picture of Hungary’s political handover.
The timing of these accusations adds pressure to an already fraught relationship with the EU, particularly on issues like the rule of law and support for Ukraine. Hungary’s parliament, now dominated by the Tisza Party with its supermajority, will convene for its first session next week, where these issues are expected to take center stage.
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