The whole Schengen area, including Hungary, should prepare for the challenge, he added. Molnár stressed the need to establish a joint European secret service to fight against terrorism and organised crime, and strengthen security in the Schengen area.

One telling episode is “the case of Szilárd Kiss and the Moscow visa scandal”, he added, referring to Hungary’s onetime agricultural attaché to Russia, convicted of fraudulent practices in issuing visas to the Schengen zone. Molnár insisted that Kiss had been allowed to continue his activities after “failing twice” in national security checks.

He said that national security control over Hungary’s foreign representations should be increased, but added that national security risks around the Schengen visas issued at the Hungarian embassy in Moscow have not been identified.

Szilárd Németh, Fidesz-delegated deputy chair of the committee, said that the secret services had indicated a novel challenge of “foreign influencing”.

He was referring to international organisations, stating that they were “mostly financed by a Hungarian billionaire” and their members “act as covert agents” in Hungary.

Radical nationalist Jobbik’s Ádám Mirkóczki said the Kiss scandal indicated “holes” in the national security system, which involved “tremendous security risks” and suggested the existence of a “corruption machinery”.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.