Szabolcs Panyi
Szabolcs Panyi (born c. 1986) is an award-winning Hungarian investigative journalist specializing in national security, foreign policy, and corruption. He is currently a lead editor at VSquare, a cross-border investigative initiative covering the Visegrád region, and a senior reporter for the Budapest-based non-profit center Direkt36. Panyi is widely recognized for his work uncovering Russian and Chinese influence in Central Europe and for being a primary target of the Pegasus spyware scandal.
Career and Investigations
Panyi began his career at Index.hu, then Hungary’s largest independent news outlet, where he focused on the Kremlin’s activities in Hungary. In 2018, he joined Direkt36 to focus on deep-dive accountability reporting.
Key Investigative Work
- The Pegasus Project (2021): Panyi was part of the international consortium that revealed the global abuse of the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware. Forensic analysis confirmed that Panyi’s own phone had been compromised by the Hungarian government for seven months in 2019 while he was investigating the Russian-led International Investment Bank.
- Foreign Influence: He has extensively documented the “Eastern Opening” policy of the Orbán government, including the infiltration of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry by Russian intelligence (GRU/FSB) and secret diplomatic maneuvers with China and Saudi Arabia.
- 2026 Election Coverage: Leading into the April 2026 elections, Panyi’s reporting through the Goulash newsletter has focused on “election fixers” and foreign disinformation teams allegedly operating in Budapest to support the incumbent administration.
Awards and Recognition
Panyi is one of the most decorated journalists in Central Europe, known for his persistence despite “demonstrative surveillance” by state actors.
| Award | Year(s) |
| Transparency-Soma Award | 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022 |
| European Press Prize | Shortlisted 2018, 2021 |
| Free Media Award | 2024 |
| Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship | 2017–2018 (Arizona State University) |
Personal Philosophy and Impact
Panyi has often spoken about the “chilling effect” of state surveillance on source protection. Despite being labeled a “national security threat” by pro-government media, he remains a vocal advocate for encrypted communication and cross-border collaboration as the primary defenses against authoritarian media crackdowns.
“Your job is not to get into quarrels or debates… Your job is to obtain information so that the public can know what’s happening.” — Szabolcs Panyi, 2022
