EU Probes Hungarian Espionage Allegations

The European Commission will establish a group to investigate accusations of Hungarian espionage on EU institutions. These allegations emerged from a joint investigation by Direkt 36, De Tijd, and Der Spiegel. Hungary's Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, claims there's no basis for these allegations.

The European Commission announced plans to form an internal group to scrutinize claims that Hungary has been spying on European institutions. A spokesperson detailed the new development following a revealing investigation conducted by Hungary's Direkt 36 alongside Belgium's De Tijd and Germany's Der Spiegel.

Reports suggest that the espionage activities were allegedly carried out by a Hungarian intelligence service targeting the EU and its personnel. 'The Commission is taking such allegations very seriously,' stated a Commission representative, underlining the gravity of the situation and affirming the setup of an investigative team.

While Hungary's EU representation couldn't immediately comment, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto expressed skepticism about the charges in statements made to Index, a Hungarian news site, where he stated unfamiliarity with the accusations and doubted their validity.

(With inputs from agencies.)