The new Hungarian government will open the historical archives of the communist-era secret police, said the man who will lead the cabinet of Peter Magyar, the winner of these parliamentary elections, who is expected to take office as prime minister on May 9th.
Hungary's center-right Tisza party defeated Viktor Orban's Fidesz, the country's longtime leader, on April 12, with promises to return Hungary to a pro-European course, revive the faltering economy and secure the unblocking of billions of euros in European Union funds, according to Reuters.
Balint Ruf, who the Hungarian government confirmed yesterday as its candidate for chief of staff, told the Valas online portal that opening the secret police archives would be his "number one priority."
As long as the past of public figures is not public, they will always be vulnerable to blackmail from those who have access to information about their past, said historian Kristijan Ungvari.
"That is a task for historians, but I can ensure that the new government creates a framework for it, that is, allows research without political pressure," said Ruf, a lawyer and political advisor.
Unlike Poland or the Czech Republic, Hungary has never officially published the names of communist-era secret police collaborators, although over the years some names have gradually leaked to the media.
Individuals can access their own files, but not, for example, materials about others, including former informants.
Historian Kristian Ungvari, a vocal advocate of complete transparency, said in a 2023 lecture that while “the past of public figures is not public, they will be constantly vulnerable to blackmail by those who have access to information about their past.”
Ruf said he intends to establish an office to recover billions of forints lost to corruption, and will also oversee EU-related issues so that the Hungarian can closely monitor the work to unfreeze European funds.
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