Hungarian journalists and critics of Orbán were targeted with Pegasus (telex.hu)

Article summary

An international investigation has found that Hungarian journalists and critics of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán were targeted with the Israeli cyberweapon Pegasus. The targets include media company owners, investigative journalists, and people connected to them. The investigation suggests that Hungarian authorities were behind the secret surveillance, with circumstantial evidence pointing to their involvement. The use of Pegasus in Hungary has been linked to the country's intelligence services and high-level government meetings with Israel.

Main themes

• Pegasus spyware
• Hungarian government surveillance
• EU-Hungary relations
• democratic standards
• economic exploitation
• neo-colonialism
• EU law and sovereignty

What commenters say

• The EU should take a stronger stance against Hungary's government for its alleged human rights abuses and disregard for EU law.
• Hungary's government is breaking its own laws and constitution, and the EU should intervene to protect democratic standards.
• The EU's legal supremacy is not justified and is a power grab by the European Court of Justice.
• Countries that join the EU should be expected to uphold its values and laws, and face consequences if they do not.
• The economic relationship between Western Europe and Eastern Europe is exploitative, with Western companies profiting from cheap labor and resources in Eastern Europe.
• Hungary's trade surplus with the EU is not a reliable indicator of its economic well-being, as profits from foreign-owned companies are often repatriated to their home countries.
• The EU's funding of Hungary is a form of neo-colonialism, with the EU exerting control over Hungary's economy and politics in exchange for financial support.
• The EU should not interfere with the internal affairs of its member states, and Hungary's government should be allowed to govern as it sees fit.