From BBC News · · 1m 40s
Hungary opens secret police files 47 years after communism fell
Prime Minister Péter Magyar releases names of 60,000 communist-era informers, fulfilling an election promise but sparking debate over incomplete records and family trauma.
In brief
Prime Minister Péter Magyar releases names of 60,000 communist-era informers, fulfilling an election promise but sparking debate over incomplete records and family trauma. Hungary has opened communist-era secret police files naming 60,000 informers, a campaign promise by Prime Minister Péter Magyar that critics say…
Hungary releases secret police files
Prime Minister Péter Magyar has opened communist-era secret police files to the public on November 4th, 47 years after the fall of communism, as part of a campaign promise.
The symbolic date and Magyar's message
The release date marks November 4th, 1956, when Soviet tanks crushed Hungary's revolution. Magyar told reporters the files will help society heal from 45 years of communist rule.
“Many families will now face difficult information, often related to a deceased relative.”
60,000 informer names now public
Names and personal data of around 60,000 people recruited by communist-era secret services are now available on the nyitottaktak.hu website, showing real names, codenames, dates of birth and recruitment motives.
Critics warn of incomplete records
Opponents say the files are incomplete, with many names blacked out and withheld by post-communist secret services. Historian Zsuzsanna Borvendég warns publishing names without full context risks misleading the public.
Decades of government reluctance
Since 1998, individuals could request their own files and historians could research others, but many records were withheld. Conservative, Socialist-Liberal and Fidesz-led governments all refused to open files fully.
More detailed files coming in February
So-called B-dossiers detailing recruitment registers and the value of information provided will be digitalised and made available on 25 February, offering much more context about how informers were recruited.
What it means
Hungary has opened communist-era secret police files naming 60,000 informers, a campaign promise by Prime Minister Péter Magyar that critics say comes too late and risks causing family anguish.
