Hungary’s ruling conservative Fidesz party has been placed on the defensive this week after opposition MPs brought rumours circulating online into the political arena regarding the alleged involvement of Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen in a paedophile case. 

The case has become emblematic of Hungary’s polarised political climate, where narratives, rather than verified facts, often dominate public debate, according to an analysis of the case by independent news site 444.hu.

Pal Peter Juhasz, head of Budapest-based juvenile correctional institution Szolo Street, was arrested in May on charges of forced prostitution, human trafficking and abuse of authority.

Mainstream media largely ignored the story in the spring. It gained momentum earlier this month after former child protection official Gabor Kuslits’ interview with Valasz Online in mid-September. Kuslits recounted long-standing professional concerns about Juhasz, who was appointed to the role in 2010 by Fidesz. He claimed that senior politicians were allegedly implicated in the scandal, possibly shielding the institution’s director from police investigation for years.

Kuslits alleged that Juhasz hosted orgies in his office and at a rented property near the reformatory, where children in state care were also exploited. He recalled that speculation circulated among professionals that an underage boy and girl were “delivered” to high-level government officials.

"If the rumours circulating within the profession are true, then Juhász holds the government in his grip with information," Kuslits told the online publication.

However, Kuslits later clarified to investigators that he had merely repeated hearsay, had not named any politicians, and that his comments were based on rumours. He also claimed that concerns were raised as early as 2014, and that police informed child protection officials in 2015 that "covert investigations" were underway. According to opposition parties, this proves that Juhasz could continue his shadow dealings unhindered with support from above.

The controversy escalated on September 22 during the opening session of parliament, when an opposition lawmaker asked the governing side: "Tell us, who is Uncle Zsolti?" 

According to an unconfirmed source speaking to a podcast run by former MP Péter Juhász (no relation), children in a youth home in eastern Hungary allegedly recognised the voice of a senior politician with the surname Zsolt on television. The source claimed, without providing evidence, that a high-level politician took boys from the institution for sexual purposes.

When confronted by the allegations, Semjen, leader of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP), the junior coalition partner of Fidesz, reacted immediately. 

Semjen, visibly agitated and frequently looking down at his notes, called the claims "an orchestrated character assassination", likened them to a "blood libel", and described them as unfounded slander unprecedented since the regime change.

He stressed that he is a staunch opponent of paedophilia, claiming that he was "the first to oppose LGBTQ propaganda", and that he had been targeted by left-liberal opposition parties for defending the Church. "I have never been involved in any criminal relationship," he said, adding that he is "the most thoroughly vetted person in Hungary" and would not allow himself to be ruined or intimidated.

Analysts at 444.hu later described his response as an "unforced error", as it elevated the case to a political level and made him a target, implicitly suggesting responsibility simply by reacting.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban also responded, asserting that all government members are under national security scrutiny and promising action against those making the accusations. He denounced what he called "dark insinuations and cheap lies as communist methods", adding that those who do this must answer for their words.

Fidesz caucus leader Mate Kocsis called the accusations "sleazy, baseless lies”.

"These attacks are no longer targeting persons but the entire state machinery," Kocsis added.

As Semjen’s speech went viral on social media, with many analysing his body language and that of the Fidesz MPs behind him to imply guilt, the party shifted tactics. Kocsis threatened "retaliation never before seen in Hungarian politics" against those spreading the accusations. Cabinet Minister Gergely Gulyas stated that those making allegations of paedophilia should face punishment.

On September 24, Justice Minister Bence Tuzson published a government report claiming that the accusations are unfounded and suggesting possible foreign involvement in their spread. The three-page report concluded that no minors had been identified as victims in the Budapest juvenile correctional case and that no politicians were implicated. However, the report has been criticised as hurried and politically motivated.

Skeptics noted that no concrete evidence supports the government’s claims of coordinated action by foreign intelligence services, despite Tuzson and other MPs hinting at a coup attempt against the state.

Fidesz began emphasising this narrative after geopolitical analyst Csaba Kancz acknowledged that he had previously received payments for business intelligence work from companies allegedly tied to MI6. Kancz was the first public figure to link Zsolt Semjen to the case in a mid-September Facebook post, along with another senior government official.

He was not the first one to make such a reference to Semjen’s alleged ties to minors. In a separate case, the Schald-Volner corruption investigation, involving the former head of the Hungarian Court Bailiffs Chamber (MBVAK) and a former state secretary of the Ministry of Justice, reportedly included a photocopy of a document listing government officials, including Semjen. Under his photo were handwritten notes alluding to potential sexual misconduct with Roma boys at his hunting lodge, with multiple recordings allegedly documenting the acts.

On September 24, police raided Kancz’s home and confiscated his computers, a move called excessive and likened to a shift towards "Putinisation" of Hungary by independent MP and anti-graft activist Akos Hadházy.

Klara Dobrev, head of the Democratic Coalition, offered HUF5mn (€12,000) for evidence supporting the paedophile allegations and condemned the government crackdown on those speaking out. The party is also demanding a full parliamentary inquiry into abuse within state institutions, a proposal the Fidesz majority has so far resisted.

Péter Tisza, leader of Hungary’s largest opposition party, called on the prime minister to suspend Semjen while the investigation continues. He argued that the episode underscores a two-tiered justice system: rapid action when political elites are targeted, versus years of inaction in cases of systemic abuse in child protection.

444.hu's analysts note that the scandal emerges amid heightened sensitivity around child protection issues. The 2023 presidential clemency case involving a deputy at Bicske children’s home, which covered up sexual abuse for years, forced the resignation of President Katalin Novák and Justice Minister Judit Varga a year later, and contributed to the political rise of Peter Magyar and the emergence of the Tisza Party. Since then, child protection issues have repeatedly posed political risks for the governing coalition, which pledged zero tolerance and a crackdown on sex offenders.

Whether the Szolo Street scandal becomes another turning point in Hungarian politics, as the clemency affair did, remains uncertain. The lack of verified information has allowed the story to grow in the public imagination, with opposition and independent media framing it as a potential high-level cover-up. Fidesz, in turn, portrays it as a foreign-backed disinformation campaign and attack on sovereignty.

The scandal has all the elements to become a "Hungarian Epstein case," 444.hu writes, noting that Juhász ran the institution as his personal fiefdom for years while maintaining political connections. Reports highlight his ties to a Fidesz-linked official who helped place him despite warnings, and to business circles close to the governing elite.

The political cost may be higher because Semjen plays a central role in church policy. In recent years, several cases of sexual abuse within church circles have been exposed, compounding the perception of unaddressed systemic issues. According to 444.hu, this convergence of child protection failures, abuse, political privilege, and church complicity makes this case especially volatile for Fidesz.