In brief
In a dramatic escalation before Hungary's elections, opposition leader Peter Magyar has accused competitors of attempting to blackmail him with a potentially damaging secretly recorded tape. He suspects rivals plan to release footage from an encounter with an ex-girlfriend. With Magyar's party leading in polls, the allegations have raised concerns over the integrity of the electoral campaign as accusations of unlawful conduct emerge.
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 of him from August 2024, when he claims he was 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 then.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 trying to blackmail him and made three allegations of unlawful conduct in a statement on Friday. Although no video has been published, he claimed one from that date would have been 'recorded with secret service equipment and possibly faked'.Magyar also claimed the Fidesz leaders aimed to undermine his campaign and spoil precious time with his sons ahead of the election. Fidesz communications director Tamas Menczer refuted Magyar's accusations, while Orban's chief of staff stated he could not comment on something he was not aware of.The elections scheduled for April 12 highlight Magyar's ascendancy, as his party is currently eight points ahead in polls, despite Orban’s considerable incumbency and influence. The upcoming election campaign is expected to be convoluted, marked by accusations and attempts at discrediting opponents with rising tensions between Magyar and Fidesz, especially as their campaigns ramp up in the weeks to come.
