In a disturbing development, German Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Daniel Freund revealed that he was the target of a sophisticated spyware attack two weeks before the European Parliament elections. Freund, known for his strong advocacy for transparency and integrity within Brussels and his vocal criticism of the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán, reported that the European Parliament successfully thwarted the hacking attempt.
The incident, which took place on May 27, involved an email sent to Freund, purportedly from a student at Kyiv International University. The email invited Freund to participate in a seminar on Ukraine’s prospects for joining the EU, requesting a brief message for the students and including a link that contained spyware. Fortunately, Freund did not click the link, thereby avoiding infection.
Upon investigation, the European Parliament identified the spyware as likely developed by the Israeli company Candiru, which was blacklisted by the US government in 2021. Candiru’s spyware is notorious for enabling covert access to the devices of activists, journalists, and politicians.
Freund speculated that the attack might be connected to his initiative to suspend Hungary’s presidency of the EU Council. While he did not directly accuse Hungary, he expressed suspicion regarding its involvement. However, the actual source of the attack remains unidentified. Both a European Parliament spokesperson and the Hungarian government declined to comment on the incident.
This incident has heightened concerns about the use of spyware by European governments against their citizens, a troubling trend for democratic states. The use of spyware in Europe has been documented not only in external cases but also internally, with reports of spyware being deployed against opposition groups in Greece, Spain, Hungary, and Poland.
The European Parliament’s heightened alert for cyberattacks and foreign interference in the lead-up to the June elections underscores the growing challenges of ensuring digital security and protecting democratic institutions from covert threats.
