Hungary’s Privacy Watchdog Needs a Reset — And Attila Péterfalvi Should Not Lead It – The European Times
Publish Date: 2026-05-13 16:57:00
Source Domain: europeantimes.news
Hungary’s democratic transition will not be judged only by elections, speeches or symbolic gestures. It will be judged by whether institutions that failed to protect citizens during years of surveillance, secrecy and political pressure are finally held accountable. That includes Hungary’s data protection authority — and its long-serving president, Attila Péterfalvi.
When Péter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary’s new prime minister, ending Viktor Orbán’s long period in power, he promised democratic renewal, institutional repair and a return to European standards. International reporting described the moment as a political rupture, with Magyar pledging to restore the rule of law, rebuild public trust and reorient Hungary toward the European Union. The Associated Press reported that the new government has promised sweeping reforms after years of democratic backsliding.
But Hungary’s democratic reset cannot stop at parliament, prosecutors, public media or anti-corruption offices. It must also reach the institutions that were supposed to protect citizens when state power became intrusive. Few institutions matter more in that respect than Hungary’s National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, known as NAIH.
That authority is meant to defend citizens against the abuse of personal data, secret surveillance, unlawful information-gathering and state opacity. It should be one of the most important democratic safeguards in the country. Under Attila Péterfalvi, however, Hungary’s privacy watchdog came to symbolize a deeper institutional problem: excessive caution when courage was required, formalism when rights were at stake, and silence when the public needed a defender.
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