Magyar Accuses Fidesz of Blackmail Ahead of Hungarian Elections

Less than two months before Hungary's election, opposition leader Peter Magyar has accused his rivals of planning to blackmail him with a secretly recorded sex tape and says he is filing a complaint with authorities.

Magyar, who leads long-time Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the polls, claimed he suspected the release of a tape from August 2024, where he asserts he engaged in consensual sex with a now ex-girlfriend at a party. This accusation follows a recently circulated photo online of a bedroom from that time.

Leading figures in Orban's Fidesz party have expressed that they are unaware of these claims. The BBC has reached out to Orban's office for comments.

In a statement, Magyar accused the Fidesz party of attempting to blackmail him and made various allegations of illegal conduct. He admitted that although no video has been made public, it might have been recorded with secret service equipment and could be faked.

He did not mention his ex-girlfriend in detail during his statement, although he had previously accused her of extortion—an allegation she has denied. The ex-girlfriend asserts that both were victims of an illicit video and is prepared to take legal action alongside Magyar.

Magyar alleged that the Fidesz leaders timed their campaign efforts to coincide with the start of his own nationwide campaign next week, sabotaging his final week with his three sons ahead of the upcoming April elections.

Fidesz communications director Tamas Menczer countered that Magyar was lying, while Orban's chief of staff Gergely Gulyas refrained from commenting on the matter.

With parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12, Orban, who has been in power for 16 years, is currently trailing behind Magyar's center-right Tisza party, as indicated by a recent opinion poll by Hungary's Idea Institute.

This campaign cycle has seen Fidesz primarily attack the European Union, accusing it of orchestrating efforts to undermine Orban's government. Notably, Orban is recognized as a close ally to Vladimir Putin in Europe, advocating for the EU to cease financial assistance to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump recently praised Orban as a truly strong and powerful leader, reaffirming his endorsement for the next election cycle.

As the election campaign officially begins on February 21, Magyar's claims of underhanded tactics suggest a turbulent political landscape ahead.

Over the past two years, Magyar has cultivated considerable support, vowing to reset relations with Hungary's European partners. Once a Fidesz loyalist and married to former justice minister Judit Varga, who faced a scandal in 2024, Magyar brings a backdrop of personal and political upheaval to the forefront of the election.