Are Péter Magyar and the Tisza supporters in serious trouble over the data leak? Could the 2026 election slip away for him?

According to strategic AI expert Zoltán Sipos’s analysis, 199,975 email addresses and 57,193 phone numbers have leaked. These likely appeared on a list gathering supporters of the Tisza Party, led by Péter Magyar and considered strong contenders for the 2026 elections. In 1,157 cases, the mother’s name also appeared on the list, which could provide a basis for identity theft attempts. The Hungarian government claims the Tisza Party is clumsy and irresponsible, while Péter Magyar insists the Russians hacked their systems.

Massive amount of data exposed

Sipos explains that the leaked database alone isn’t enough to commit full identity theft. However, if thieves gain more data from other sources, they could succeed, putting individuals in serious danger. This is why the mother’s name is particularly concerning, as it is a critical piece of information in banking identity verification.

Alongside the database, 115,279 geo-coordinates and 5,567 image URLs were also leaked, offering chances for biometric abuse. The expert also raised the alarming possibility that voice samples and photos could be used to create deceptive avatars. This is already possible for public figures simply by using photos and videos from a Facebook or Instagram page.

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Serious fines loom over Tisza before the 2026 general elections

The bigger problem is that the identifiable list members’ political beliefs have been made public. Understandably, everyone wants to protect this information, as political views are highly sensitive data—no one can be asked about their political beliefs in a job interview, for example. Another question is whether obtaining this data itself is a crime or an offence.

The expert predicts a hefty fine for the Tisza Party. We add that such fines have already curbed activities of parties in the past, like Jobbik’s enormous 660 million forint “State Audit Office fine” before the 2017 election. Technically, the fine was deducted from the central budget rather than imposed directly. A further State Audit ban in 2019 raised the total outstanding penalty to almost one billion forints.

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According to Sipos, all parties should draw two lessons from this: only collect essential data (it’s hard to imagine why mother’s name is needed at all) and invest heavily in protecting critical infrastructure.

Péter Magyar suspects the Russians behind the attack

The political dispute begins here. Péter Magyar’s team did not deny that the leaked list contained their supporters. They strongly oppose the government’s claim that Tisza’s clumsiness and pro-war stance, plus cooperation with Ukrainians, caused the leak and warrant punishment. Instead, the Tisza Party suspects international hacker groups, suggesting they have no means to defend themselves against the Russians and cannot rely on state agencies.

Magyar believes the hacking of the Tisza Világ app and the leak of the found list served only the interests of Fidesz, which is losing support for the first time in 20 years. He claims Orbán’s team used foreign secret services to break into the app, though no evidence has emerged yet. He also highlighted government data leak cases, such as Russian hackers breaking into the Foreign Ministry’s system and stealing sensitive information.

Orbán demands investigation

Viktor Orbán accused Ukrainians of involvement in the Tisza Party’s data management, calling it a “serious national security risk.” He ordered an immediate investigation. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said the Tisza Party entered their activists’ data into a database created with Ukrainian participation. The leak means the list is in Ukrainian hands, from a country at war. He warned that this poses a sovereignty risk and raises the danger of Hungary being dragged into the war, though he didn’t clarify the cause-and-effect relationship (if the Ukrainian link is even true).

Orbán Balázs clashed with himself over this matter. On the one hand, discussing that Russian breaches of the Foreign Ministry’s servers have been ongoing from all sides for years, branding the recent hacker attack as campaign misinformation. On the other hand, he called the Tisza data leak a huge scandal, insisting Hungary must not be allowed to be taken away like this.

István Tényi has also turned to the National Authority for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (NAIH) in relation to the case, and an investigation has already begun.