On Thursday, the Hungarian National Security Committee ordered the launching of an investigation by the intelligence services into the multi-billion-forint campaign funding of the leftist parties.

The debate preceding the decision took place behind closed doors, with no details disclosed, but during the coming weeks the board will examine the results of the analysis and evaluation by the services as they become available, the Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet writes. The attempt at illegal foreign influence sparked a heated debate in the committee, as the unprecedented issue threatens Hungary’s sovereignty.

As is known, the Left’s failed prime ministerial candidate, Peter Marki-Zay, himself admitted recently that in June,

long after the parliamentary elections, his Everyone’s Hungary Movement (MMM) was still receiving several hundred million forints in funding from the United States. As the former joint candidate of the Hungarian Left explained, this sum was used to pay for the „last invoices from the campaign.”

MMM received this money in one lump sum from the US foundation Action for Democracy, with „three to four larger transfers” from the foundation having landed on MMM accounts previously. Action for Democracy is an NGO founded in the United States at the beginning of 2022. Its president and executive director is none other than David Koranyi, left-wing Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony’s city diplomacy advisor and former chief advisor to ex-PM Gordon Bajnai. Meanwhile, Peter Marki-Zay made public the complete financial report on the spending of the donations received by his movement.

Although it remains unclear whom exactly the amounts – sometimes staggering sums – came from, one thing is certain: eight „macro donations” in US dollars totalling 1.86 billion Hungarian forints (approx 4.4 million euros) have been funneled into MMM’s coffers. This raises concerns because Hungary’s law on the financing of political parties expressly prohibits political parties from receiving funding from foreign sources.

In the past thirty years there has been no precedent for what Peter Marki-Zay, the left’s prime ministerial candidate, did „unknowingly or intentionally,” the parliamentary group of ruling Fidesz said, pointing out that he blatantly admitted to the public that his campaign received several billion Hungarian forints in funding from abroad.