Hungary's Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, announced that on Wednesday, November 4, the government will make public the files of the communist secret police, fulfilling a key promise of his TISZA party. This date is significant as it coincides with the anniversary of the Soviet intervention that crushed the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
"Without addressing the past, true political change is impossible," Magyar stated on the social media platform X. He acknowledged that the disclosure might be "a difficult and sensitive issue for many families," yet emphasized it as a crucial act of historical justice.
The information will be accessible through an online database managed by the Historical Archive of State Security Services (ÁBTL). Users can search by name, birth date, mother's name, code name, and document type.
The initial phase will feature the "H database," containing approximately 58,000 names retrieved from magnetic tapes created in 1989, alongside "card number 6" — files on agents and recruitment candidates — and the B records.
Estimates indicate that between 50,000 and 80,000 individuals were documented as agents, informants, collaborators, or recruitment targets. A subsequent phase, set for February 25, 2027, will add around 9,000 complete files, some spanning several hundred pages.
The government clarified that a name's presence in the database does not automatically imply voluntary collaboration, as records also include those targeted for recruitment. Information that could jeopardize the security of Hungary, or its allies in the European Union and NATO, will remain confidential.
The Hungarian Parliament initially approved the publication to begin on October 20, but TISZA advocated for a delay to November 4 to allow more time to prepare the materials.
The Shadow of the ÁVH
The Hungarian secret police, known as the ÁVH (Államvédelmi Hatóság), was a primary tool of political terror under the communist regime. Established in 1948 from a security apparatus dating back to 1945, its methods included mass surveillance through informant networks, arbitrary detentions, torture, show trials, and forced labor camps.
Though officially dissolved during the October 1956 revolution, which was crushed by Soviet military action beginning November 4, the repressive apparatus was quickly reinstated under János Kádár's regime, reabsorbing many former ÁVH agents into new state security organizations.
While the organization did not officially regain its name, its structures, functions, and many of its leaders persisted beyond the revolution.
Comparisons with Cuba's Repressive Tactics
With Magyar's announcement, Hungary joins the ranks of Eastern European countries that have taken this step, following Germany's opening of the Stasi archives in January 1992, the Czech Republic in 1997, Poland in 1998 with its Institute of National Remembrance, and Romania in 2000 with the CNSAS for Securitate files.
During Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure, Hungary's process was consistently blocked or delayed. The practices of these political police forces—systematic surveillance, forced recruitment of informants, fabricating charges, and suppressing dissent—mirror the methods of Cuba's repressive regime.
As of 2026, Cuba's State Security remains active and was identified as the leading participant in repression against independent journalists, with 51 documented incidents and a 129% year-over-year increase. Unlike the former Soviet bloc countries, Cuba has seen no democratic transition or archive opening.
The key difference between Hungary and Cuba is that Péter Magyar came to power after winning the April 2026 elections with 53.18% of the vote, ending Orbán's 16-year rule. In contrast, Cuba's dictatorship has not been held accountable to its citizens or history for 67 years.
Understanding Hungary's Secret Police Files Disclosure
What is the significance of November 4 for Hungary?
November 4 marks the anniversary of the Soviet military intervention that crushed the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, making it a symbolic date for the disclosure of the communist secret police files.
How will the Hungarian government manage the secret police files?
The files will be available through an online database managed by the Historical Archive of State Security Services (ÁBTL), searchable by various criteria such as name and document type.
What does the release of these files mean for Hungarian families?
The release may present challenges for some families, as it might reveal sensitive information about relatives' activities or targeting during the communist era. However, it is seen as an essential step for historical justice.