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.