The primary mission of national security services is protection of the independence and legal order of Hungary, as well as asserting its national security interests. The services are essential components of the complex security system that provides with the safety and security of the country. Their main task is to ensure the protection of the sovereignty, social structure and economic stability of Hungary. Their activity aims to gather information for the political and military decision makers: therefore we distinguish civilian and military services.
The foundations of the composition and the functioning of the services have been laid after the regime change in 1990. It was followed by a few structural changes to work under unified control in the present composition of services since 2022.
The Constitution Protection Office (Alkotmányvédelmi Hivatal), the Information Office (Információs Hivatal), the Special Service for National Security (Nemzetbiztonsági Szakszolgálat) and the National Information Centre (Nemzeti Információs Központ) carry out their mission with the control excercised by the Minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office. From 14 March 2024, the Prime Minister's Chief National Security Adviser is responsible for the comprehensive coordination of national security, defense and law enforcement activities. The Prime Minister through the chief advisor can handle any foreign and domestic defence policy, national security, immigration, crime prevention, penal law, disaster management and other law enforcement policy tasks. At the same time, the management of NIK was assigned to the Prime Minister's Chief National Security Adviser, thus emphasizing the importance of the NIK's information fusion tasks.
The services carry out their activities within a strict legal framework. Their powers and the order of their operation are regulated by Act CXXV of 1995 on the national security services. Parliamentary control of the activities of the services is carried out by the National Security Committee of the Parliament. The Chairman of the Committee can only be an opposition representative at all times. The minister in charge of the services informs the National Security Committee about the general activities of the national security services regularly, but at least twice a year.
In order to effectively manage the challenges facing our alliance system (EU, NATO), the national security services of the member states cooperate and share relevant information. Thus, the Hungarian civilian national security services also participate in the international forums organized for this purpose and are in permanent contact with foreign partner agencies on a bilateral basis.