A new bill would open decades-old informant files to the public. The move promises to reshape Hungary’s postcommunist narrative without naming all secrets yet.
Hungary is preparing to declassify the dossiers of informants from the communist era as part of Prime Minister Peter Madar’s initiative. According to Bloomberg, the corresponding bill was submitted by the government on Wednesday.
The decision comes 37 years after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. Unlike most countries of the former Soviet bloc, Hungary had not previously disclosed informant dossiers after the transition to democracy.
We are paying off a long-standing debt
– Peter Madar
Documents are planned to be published by October 23 – the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, when thousands of Hungarians rose up against the Soviet occupation.
The bill proposes the creation of an independent commission, comprising current intelligence officers, independent historians and archivists, who will determine which documents should remain secret. The secrecy criteria will be strengthened: previously secret materials that endangered external relations could remain secret, and now only those that threaten relations with the EU, EEA or NATO; Russia is excluded as a basis for keeping secrecy.
Although many of the individuals mentioned in the archival materials are likely no longer alive, the initiative has symbolic significance and aims to uncover the network of informants and the people who directed them. Previously, historians had access only to individual documents, but the full picture remained out of reach.
Context
In Hungary’s post-communist history, the fact of unsealed dossiers was often viewed as a “sin” that allowed former elites to maintain influence after the fall of the Iron Curtain and led to the appointment of former high-ranking officials to key positions.
In this context, declassifying archives could strengthen government transparency and provide a broader understanding of historical events. The final path of implementation will depend on parliamentary support and public discussion.
Hungary is taking a step toward a more open history, but its implementation depends on political will and constructive dialogue with society. If the bill comes into force, it could reveal new data about the past and help the public better understand the country’s history.