All news on the topic: Hungary

A series of inspections ordered by the government in 2024 has revealed serious shortcomings and appalling conditions in Hungarian children’s homes, according to previously concealed inspection reports obtained by Direkt36 through a lawsuit

Hungary’s parliament elected Andras Baka, a former head of the Supreme Court, as the country’s next president on ‌Tuesday, a symbolic step in Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s effort to dismantle former premier Viktor Orban’s bastions of power.

In mid-April, significant events took place in the criminal trial—which has been ongoing for years at the Székesfehérvár Regional Court—regarding the alleged embezzlement case at the Ministry of Agriculture.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Turin (Italy) has obtained the conviction of ten defendants by the Tribunal of Nola in a VAT fraud case involving the trade of plastics products.

Following an EPPO request, an Italian court ordered the seizure of over 7.8 million metres of fabric and 237,000 garments as part of an investigation into VAT and customs fraud involving smuggled Chinese textiles.

Bálint Ruff, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, signed the decision, meaning that at the end of July the Mathias Corvinus Collegium Foundation (MCC) will cease to exist, along with all “public-interest asset management foundations performing public duties” (KEKVA).

Since the elections, private jets used by pro-Orbán oligarchs are no longer being stored and maintained in Hungary.

At least ten years ago, the Orbán government already had documentation showing that the healthcare system was struggling with systemic problems, yet they never spoke about this openly.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bologna (Italy), the Judge for Preliminary Investigations in Prato has issued a freezing order covering over 7.8 million metres of fabric and more than 237 000 garments, as part of an ongoing investigation into a VAT and customs fraud involving the smuggling of textile products from China.

A company owned by Péter Szijjártó’s close associate, Szilárd Benkő, was involved in an African investment project financed by a Hungarian loan and participated in multiple foreign affairs-related deals, though the former minister insists he was unaware of these activities.

Hungary’s national anti-corruption watchdog has alleged that billions were misappropriated during the Orbán era. But prosecutors told OCCRP that the watchdog’s own president is now facing criminal charges.

In a dimly lit television studio, one of Hungary’s richest men is on the verge of tears. It is early May, weeks after the general election that ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power, and the advertising mogul Balásy Gyula has an announcement to make.

Poland’s former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, wanted on several criminal charges in his home country, has fled Hungary to the United States, he confirmed on Sunday, after being granted asylum from former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s government last year.

We have continuously monitored the activities of the Orbán government and its inner circle from 2010 to 2026.

Hungary’s next leader seeks to restore Central Europe’s influence by drawing on its imperial heritage.

After returning to power in Hungary 16 years ago, Viktor Orbán began steadily dismantling the country’s independent media, building a system that brought journalism increasingly under state control.

Almost 800 Hungarian government email addresses and associated passwords are circulating online, revealing basic vulnerabilities in the security protocols of ministries involved in classified and sensitive work.

After ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule in a landslide election victory, Hungary’s incoming leader, Péter Magyar, has promised a sweeping crusade to dismantle the country’s systemic graft.

In recent years, Hungary has emerged as one of the Kremlin’s key allies within the European Union. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has praised Vladimir Putin, obstructed EU assistance to Ukraine, and repeatedly blocked sanctions against Russia — a notable shift from his earlier stance in the late 2000s, when he was more openly critical of the Kremlin.

Hungary’s opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, has won the election, bringing an end to Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power.

Hungary is set to hold parliamentary elections on April 12, and the country’s future depends on their outcome.

The European Commission is being urged to investigate whether Hungary’s elections are being undermined by Russian manipulation, intimidation of journalists, and voter coercion by the ruling party.

According to sources cited by Átlátszó, the individuals behind the surveillance of the Tisza Party — including the operative known as “Henry” — are unlikely to be part of the official staff of Hungary’s Constitution Protection Office.

Meta blocked political advertisements on Facebook and Instagram in October, but misinformation researchers warn that the ban has pushed political ads by Orbán’s Fidesz underground.