With war raging on Hungary's doorstep, former military intelligence chief Jozsef Kovacs is establishing himself as a central but discreet figure in the military planning of Viktor Orban's government. That military role departs somewhat from his title of State Secretary for National Information (NIAT in Hungarian), supposedly an intelligence coordinator and curator of sensitive projects who reports directly to the prime minister.
Orban is thus stoking institutional rivalry between his security chiefs,