Around the world in luxury: How the son of a former PM benefits from Orbán’s regime

Wirth Zsuzsanna 2021.05.31.

The think tank ran by Péter Antall has received lucrative support from Viktor Orbán’s government. Direkt36 has obtained internal documents about the organization’s lavish spending.

The big winners of favorable state loans in Hungary? Viktor Orbán’s son-in-law and his circle

Szabó András 2021.05.21.

The state-owned Hungarian Development Bank provided 166 million euros in loans to PM Orbán’s son-in-law and his business partners. It almost fully covered the purchase of one of Budapest’s landmark hotels by one of the richest Hungarians.

To please China, Orbán’s government shifted plans to favor Fudan’s campus over Student City

Panyi Szabolcs 2021.05.14.

An internal conflict erupted in Hungary’s government as the Budapest Student City project, designed for low-income Hungarian university students, was scrapped in favor of a Chinese private university for wealthy foreigners. Direkt36 also acquired Fudan Hungary University’s financial projections.

Inside the secrets of the Orbán family’s businesses

Zöldi Blanka, Pethő András 2021.05.05.

Viktor Orbán claims that he does not have any savings, but his family members have earned millions of euros in recent years, partly from public money from the Hungarian state and the European Union. We explain how we investigated the businesses of Orbán’s family in an animated video.

Orbán’s son-in-law and his associates among beneficiaries of favorable state COVID-loans

Szabó András 2021.04.14.

The loan for small- and medium-sized companies was announced by governor of Hungary’s Central Bank György Matolcsy at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only a few received loans as high as István Tiborcz and two of his associates.

Huge Chinese loan to cover the construction of Fudan University in Budapest

Panyi Szabolcs 2021.04.06.

Chinese workers will construct Fudan’s Budapest campus using Chinese building materials, all covered by a Chinese loan, but the Hungarian state is the one paying the huge bill. Fudan University has already picked a contractor: state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corporation, a company embroiled in suspicions of corruption and espionage in several countries around the world.

The mine of the Orbán family pays the highest dividend among its competitors

Matyasovszki Fanni 2021.03.29.

According to the latest data available, Dolomit Kft. paid 1,8 billion forints (4,98 million euros) as dividends in 2019, which is more than the thirteen times more than the sectorial average.

Until now, Orbán’s family has stayed away from public procurements. Now the company of his brother won a lucrative one

Szőke Dániel 2021.03.23.

Gamma Analcont, a company minority owned by one of Viktor Orban’s younger brothers, won a high-value public procurement for the remote monitoring of gas-networks of E.ON.

How Russians got a second chance at lucrative rail deal from Hungary

Panyi Szabolcs, Szabó András 2021.03.18.

A Russian company lobbied heavily against the €550m procurement of rail cars as they were unable to enter the competition. Then Hungary’s government suddenly canceled and restarted the bidding process.

Company with murky background is at the center of Hungary’s Chinese vaccine deal

Wirth Zsuzsanna, Pethő András 2021.03.18.

Egyre több a kérdőjel a kínai vakcinák beszerzése körül. Az oltóanyagokat szállító cég mögött feltűnő egyik ember korábban jéghoki játékos volt, és ismerősei szerint egy energiaitalos cégnél dolgozik, komoly vállalkozása pedig soha nem volt – derítette ki a Direkt36.

Chinese spy games in Orbán’s Hungary

Panyi Szabolcs 2021.03.14. 4 Comments

The policy of ’Eastern Opening’ set out by Viktor Orbán in hope of tons of Chinese money never actually resulted in momentous Chinese investments. The China-friendly environment in Hungary, on the other hand, came in handy for Chinese intelligence. Direkt36 presents the hidden history of Hungarian-Chinese relations.

Government’s friends get a chance to profit from the economic downturn

Szabó András 2021.03.09. 2 Comments

Several government-close people, including a Fidesz politician, entered the liquidation market, which will likely become a profitable business following the economic impact of COVID-19, Direkt36 reports.

A fugitive wanted for murder became a businessman in Budapest under false identity

Zöldi Blanka 2021.02.01. 10 Comments

Haris Ahmed has escaped from Bangladesh, where his brother currently serves as Army Chief. The man had been on the Interpol’s Red Notice list for years, now he is using his connections at home to enrich himself in Europe.

Inside Viktor Orbán’s slow response to the second wave of COVID19

Szabó András 2021.01.22. 1 Comment

Fidesz politicians believed in the forecast of Central Bank president György Matolcsy that the pandemic would only have a mild impact on the Hungarian economy, but GDP data showed a different reality.

Orbán’s father offers building materials for a much higher price than the competition

Zöldi Blanka 2020.12.16. 1 Comment

Dolomit Kft. participates in state projects despite selling some of its products 60-70 percent more expensive than its main competitors.

„Read this! It’s crazy!” How the machine of crypto investment fraudsters works

Wirth Zsuzsanna 2020.12.03. 2 Comments

Fake news sites offering get-rich-quick opportunities lead people to criminals. The scammers trick Google and Facebook into promoting their offers.

“Don’t even try, sweetie, because I’m running out of patience” – We asked Viktor Orbán’s father about his involvement in state projects

Zöldi Blanka 2020.11.24. 2 Comments

The mining company of Hungarian PM’s father, Győző Orbán delivered building materials for major railway and road constructions, but he only wanted to talk about the beautiful autumn weather.

Opposition politician profited from business deals with the Hungarian government’s inner circles. Now, the EU has identified irregularities in several of their deals

Szabó András 2020.11.11.

Direkt36 reported that Gergő Czeglédy, a well-connected politician from the Hungarian Socialist Party, won lucrative state contracts jointly with government-close businessmen. Now OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud agency found irregularities in some of their deals.

How sloppy coronavirus measures pushed healthcare workers to the brink of death

Wirth Zsuzsanna 2020.10.22.

12 hours in surgical masks, a lack of testing and a string of nurses falling ill. In May, coronavirus tread down a hospital in Western Hungary.

Secret battles of Orban’s rival – Budapest’s first year under opposition rule

Szabó András, Panyi Szabolcs, Pethő András 2020.10.19. 5 Comments

What conflicts emerged between Gergely Karácsony and Ferenc Gyurcsány? What did Antal Rogán tell the mayor? Who are the most influential people at Budapest’s city hall? Direkt36 presents the behind-the-scenes story of the capital’s opposition leadership.