Hungary opens "agent files": Late search for Stasi informants

Hungary's government, led by Peter Magyar, is opening the "agent files" on November 4, marking a significant step in addressing the legacy of the communist regime. This move comes 36 years after the fall of communism and aims to foster a debate on guilt and responsibility regarding past informants. The files contain names of individuals who were informants for the state security service, with the potential to reveal information about up to 60,000 informants. Critics caution that the documents may be incomplete or unreliable. While some historians view this as a necessary step for societal reflection, others see it as a symbolic gesture rather than a genuine reckoning with the past. The opening of these files is politically charged, especially given the historical context of Fidesz's opposition to such transparency.