High-stakes Hungarian election turns dirty as scandals, a sex tape and intrigue mix

(CN) — Hungary's high-stakes election campaign is turning nasty after Péter Magyar, a 44-year-old politician vying to end far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's 16-year reign, accused the government of seeking to damage him with a secretly recorded sex tape.

By late Friday, no sex tape had surfaced, fueling speculation and intensifying an already toxic campaign ahead of the April 12 election.

In a video posted Thursday, Magyar said he was targeted in a “Russia-style” honeypot operation, claiming a former girlfriend lured him to a hotel party in August 2024, where they had consensual sex and others used illicit drugs. He denied taking any drugs himself.

The accusations come as the campaign escalates and Orbán faces mounting pressure over scandals tied to his Fidesz party.

Orbán’s difficulties deepened Monday after Telex, a Hungarian news site, reported that Fidesz government ministers allowed workers at a Samsung battery plant in Göd to be exposed to high levels of toxins.

The outlet reported that senior officials, including Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó, were aware of the pollution but took no action, fearing it would deter other battery makers from investing in Hungary.

Magyar called on Szijjártó to resign. Szijjártó responded by filing defamation complaints against Magyar and Telex, accusing them of spreading “fake news.”

The controversy was soon eclipsed by rumors amplified by Fidesz-affiliated media suggesting Magyar had taken part in an “orgy,” according to Hungarian media.

Meanwhile, an anonymous website surfaced featuring a single image, seemingly from a ceiling-mounted video camera, showing a rumpled bed; alongside the image were the words “Coming soon.” The site’s domain name belonged to Magyar party vice president Márk Radnai.

“That night I didn't realize that I was facing a secret service operation, so I let myself be seduced,” Magyar said in his video post Thursday. “But later I realized that I had walked into a classic Russia-style compromising situation. But since I had not done anything illegal, my conscience is clear.”

On Friday, Magyar filed a criminal complaint against an “unknown perpetrator," accusing them of secretly videotaping him. He warned images and audio recordings involving him could be manipulated.

He said the sex tape campaign was targeting his family and sought to undermine him.

“The Fidesz leaders know that I have my sons with me this week as our grassroots campaign starts next week,” he said. “They wanted to ruin this period and to put me under even greater psychological pressure, so I made a mistake. They will not succeed.”

Orbán, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, is trailing in polls to Magyar, a former ally who quit Fidesz two years ago and accused Orbán of systemic corruption after a scandal involving an undisclosed presidential pardon for a man convicted of covering up child sexual abuse at an orphanage.

After leaving Fidesz, Magyar took over Tisza, a small conservative party, and quickly emerged as Orbán’s most formidable challenger.

He is a lawyer from a prominent Budapest family. In March 2023, Magyar divorced Judit Varga, who was then serving as Orbán's justice minister. The couple has three children.

Orbán, with his authoritarian tactics and praise of “illiberal democracy,” is one of the most controversial and divisive figures in the European Union. He has become a major obstacle in Brussels with his rejection of EU positions on Ukraine, climate change, LGBT rights and migration.

Orbán is seen as a leader of the far right and he has been backed in his reelection bid by Europe's extreme-right leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and France's Marine Le Pen.

On Feb. 5, Trump endorsed Orbán, calling him a “truly strong and powerful leader, with a proven track record of delivering phenomenal results.” He backed Orbán’s re-election, calling him a “true friend, fighter and winner.”

Next week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Hungary and hold a news conference with Orbán.

Magyar, meanwhile, is the hope of Brussels and pro-EU forces.

Courthouse News reporter Cain Burdeau is based in the European Union.

Follow @cainburdeau