EU delegation to Hungary given anti-surveillance phone cases, met with hostility by state bodies
Members of a European Parliament delegation visiting Hungary were offered special phone cases designed to block surveillance, according to Politico. The five-member delegation from the EP’s Committee on Civil Liberties travelled to Hungary for a three-day mission to assess the state of democracy, rule of law, and fundamental rights.
According to Politico, one MEP confirmed that the Parliament’s security service provided them with Faraday pouches, which block incoming and outgoing signals to protect against hacking and tracking. They were also advised to avoid public Wi-Fi and charging stations. However, the pouches do not protect against spyware like Pegasus, previously used in Hungary against journalists and activists, Telex writes.
Two officials familiar with the security protocols told Politico that distributing such cases is not standard practice, suggesting heightened concerns about espionage within the EU when it comes to Hungary. The mission was prompted by past reports that Hungarian intelligence had spied on visiting EU officials between 2015 and 2017. Although the Hungarian government denies these allegations, the concerns persist.
The delegation, led by Dutch Green MEP Tineke Strik, concluded that Hungary has failed to comply with most EU rule-of-law recommendations and is instead moving further away from European democratic norms. Other members included lawmakers from Belgium, Spain, and Poland.
Hungarian state bodies received MEPs in Budapest with open hostility
According to Népszava, the Hungarian authorities treated the delegation with hostility and discourtesy. Dutch Green MEP Tineke Strik, who led the mission, said there was no real dialogue with officials, who instead deflected criticism by pointing to other countries’ issues. Other MEPs raised concerns about selective enforcement of EU rulings and government dominance over the media landscape.
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The reports are already written. Why allow this people into the country, big mistake.
I take it you’ve not heard about freedom of movement for EU nationals? I don’t doubt your instinctive response to this will be to end this by removing Hungary from the EU and sealing her borders.
So are all your comments, Orban bot.
For the EU delegation a visit to Budapest was really no different than a visit to Moscow. They met with Russian apparatchiks who happen to speak Hungarian.
Empty… MT.