The Hungarian National Election Commission (NVB) took an official decision on Friday to report the case of the opposition's text message campaign to the authorities.

Tamas Szalay, a member of the Hungarian National Election Commission (NVB) elected by the National Assembly, called the case of the opposition’s barrage of text messages the most blatant infringement in the campaign, both in terms of the scale and the gravity of the violation, the Hungarian state news agency (MTI) reported on Friday evening. At NVB’s meeting on Friday, Mr Szalay urged the Commission to formally report the issue to the investigation authority in order to initiate criminal proceedings, as well as the National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.

At the meeting, the NVB members voted ten to one in favour of initiating legal proceedings regarding the text messages.

As the Hungarian news portal Origo recalls: A video statement sent by Istvan Hollik, Fidesz party communications director, to Hungary’s state news agency (MTI) on Tuesday revealed that several reports had been received of text messages from unknown phone numbers urging support for the Left. Individuals, including several members of the government, who had never provided any personal details to left-wing parties, also received such messages.

Mr Hollik pointed out that in recent days, a lot of information has come to light about the secret and illegal data phishing activities carried out by former Socialist PM Gordon Bajnai and his “American-trained intelligence minister” through through the company DatAdat. The text messages sent on Tuesday prove that the database, the „Bajnai list”, compiled by illicit means, exists, Mr Hollik said, adding that the mass messaging also raises suspicions of unlawful use of personal data and illegal campaign financing.