What are Hungarian spies doing in Bratislava?

The Slovak foreign and security apparatus is puzzled by the sheer number of Hungarian spies in their country. It is especially unusual considering both countries are member states of the European Union. The Slovak counterintelligence is rather confused as to why the spies are there in the first place.

The big picture

When we look at the big picture and place together the pieces of the jigsaw, things still look rather odd. However, the recent reelection of Fico appears to be the main link that connects everything.

Firstly, during the election Viktor Orbán championed Fico vehemently and supported him thoroughly on almost every forums. The Hungarian government- affiliated media, which most Hungarian Slovaks get their information from, has always been openly pro-Fico. Another question is how Hungary may spread misinformation through these channels, which is also a surprising new element of the story. Read more about Hungary’s stance on ethnic Hungarians abroad HERE.

In the midst of the Slovak election campaigns, the Hungarian ambassador in Slovakia held a meeting with the Russian ambassador delegated to Bratislava. It’s worth noting that no other European Member State Ambassador met up with him. Another part of the story that should be mentioned is Hungary’s advocacy for a pro-Russian shift within the Visegrád Group, a stance temporarily set aside during the election period in both Poland and Slovakia. However, the ambassador emphasised the need to collaborate with Russia, as reported by a Slovak government official.

Following Fico’s successful election, he not only secured victory at the polls but also received a handshake and a friendly hug from Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who later sent a small army of intelligence officers to Slovakia.

Learn more about Slovakian foreign policies HERE.

What’s the end goal?

The reason behind deploying so many spies remains a mystery. The government’s intentions are unclear, and speculation abounds. According to a former Hungarian intel officer, this phenomenon is not justified by the political scene there, particularly given Slovakia’s strong status as an ally after Fico’s reelection. If the spies are indeed tasked with gathering information, he deems Bratislava an ill-suited location, suggesting Vienna as a more strategic choice for networking and information-sharing among fellow operatives.

He highlighted, “We only send these undercover officers to Slovakia because there’s a political request by the Orbán government.”

Why don’t the Slovaks do something?

In light of these developments, the question arises: Why haven’t the Slovaks taken action? The Slovak counterintelligence has identified the spies, some of whom hold high-ranking positions in Hungarian state-run institutions. The Slovak apparatus is confounded with the situation, since it is rather unusual for allies to send an armada of spies into their ally’s capital. Moreover, expulsions is out of question between allied nations.

Thus, the main question still lingers: What is Hungary’s plan for deploying such a large contingent of spies within the capital of an allied nation?