Head of the Sovereignty Protection Office Threatens Peter Magyar with Prison Sentence
In a controversial turn of events, Thomas Lánczi, the head of the Sovereignty Protection Office, has publicly threatened Peter Magyar with a prison sentence.
The dispute began when Lánczi accused Magyar of improperly addressing him in a familiar tone, despite having no personal acquaintance with Magyar.
Lánczi elaborated on the legal ramifications for individuals or organizations that utilize prohibited foreign support in political campaigns, stating, "I would like to draw attention to the fact that Hungarian laws apply to everyone. They clearly stipulate that if a candidate or nominating organization utilizes prohibited foreign support, they could be punished with up to three years in prison."
In an interview with the Hungarian Nation newspaper, Lánczi further accused the "Get up, Hungarians!" movement, associated with Peter Magyar, of potentially being influenced by the same groups that attempted to sway the results of the 2022 parliamentary elections, as well as the upcoming municipal and European Parliament elections in June.
This accusation is based on an April 18 article in the Hungarian Nation, which suggested that the movement is backed by a data group associated with Gordon Bajnai. Lánczi stated that the lack of denial from Magyar regarding the information that came to light lends credence to this assertion. However, Victor Szigetvári, the CEO of Datadat, countered the newspaper's claims, stating, "Contrary to the false statements published by the Hungarian Nation, neither Datadat Professional Ltd. nor the legal successor of the former Datadat GmbH has any business relationship with Peter Magyar or any party or association related to him. Any claims to the contrary are false."
Despite these statements, Lánczi announced that the Sovereignty Protection Office has launched an investigation into the suspicions of foreign financial support. He previously clarified that his organization is not an authority, does not conduct investigations or impose sanctions. Its primary function is analysis and reporting, working in conjunction with other state bodies to expose and report any abuses to the relevant authorities.