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, said he suspected there were plans to release a tape from August 2024, when he engaged in consensual sex with a now ex-girlfriend at a party.
He was responding to a photo recently posted online of a bedroom in an apartment dating back to that time.
Leading figures in Orban's Fidesz party said they knew nothing about the claims. The BBC has approached Orban's spokesman for comment.
Magyar accused Fidesz of attempting to blackmail him and made three allegations of unlawful conduct in a statement on Friday. Although no video has been published, he asserted that one from that date would have been recorded with secret service equipment and possibly faked.
Magyar made no mention in his statement of the ex-girlfriend involved, although he previously accused her of extortion 15 months ago—a claim she denied.
She told Hungarian media that they were both victims regarding the alleged illicit video and was ready to take legal action alongside him.
Magyar also suggested that Fidesz leaders were timing their campaign to coincide with the start of his nationwide campaign next week, attempting to ruin his last week with his three sons before the April election.
Fidesz communications director Tamas Menczer accused Magyar of lying, while Orban's chief of staff Gergely Gulyas stated he could not comment on something he knew nothing about.
Orban has been in power for 16 years, but with parliamentary elections on April 12, Magyar's party is leading in the latest opinion poll by Hungary's Idea Institute.
Fidesz has focused its campaign on attacking the European Union, alleging that Brussels is trying to undermine his government. Orban is viewed as a loyal ally of Vladimir Putin in Europe and has urged the EU to cease financial support to Ukraine.
Notably, US President Donald Trump recently praised Orban as a truly strong and powerful leader, endorsing him for re-election.
As the election campaign is set to officially start on February 21, Magyar’s allegations signal a tumultuous period ahead in Hungarian politics.
In recent years, Magyar has garnered significant support in Hungary, promising to improve relations with its European partners. Once a loyalist to Fidesz, he previously faced personal challenges, including a divorce from former justice minister Judit Varga amidst scandals.
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