All posts by Szabó András

Before the Hungarian government exited the Russian bank, it was helped out by a government-close financial institution

“We need to pressure” the Hungarians – Leaked documents reveal collapse of Russian-led bank in Budapest

While former Fidesz politician rents properties to Rosatom, his son is paid for cleaning toilets

We looked into the contracts signed by the Hungarian government with “Mr. Russia”

Inside Viktor Orbán’s Response to the War in Ukraine

A 10 legfontosabb részlet az Orbán háborús döntéseiről szóló tényfeltáró cikkből 

Sinking ground on the Paks II nuclear power plant site could further delay the project

Inside the opposition’s crushing defeat against Viktor Orbán

Inside Orbán’s Fidesz party preparing for Hungary’s parliamentary election

Spies, business deals and criminals. How Orbán favors Russian interests instead of Western ones

In the past 12 years, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has gotten into a situation many times, when they had to decide between the interests of Western allies, or Russia. Direkt36 has revealed many cases, where, in the end, the government favored Vladimir Putin and his circles. It occurred, for example, that they drove a Hungarian company out of business, just to be able to make space for a Russian firm.

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Inside the internal government conflict over the permit for the controversial Paks 2 nuclear power plant

Another Pegasus target with political ties: a lawyer who oversees elections and worked for opposition party Jobbik

Former Fidesz politician signs lucrative property rental contract 
with Russians building Paks 2

The license permit for the Paks 2 power plant expansion is still delayed but project implementer Rosatom continues to publish new related tenders. According to Direkt36 research former local Fidesz president in the town where the project is located is one of the beneficiaries.

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Inside the conflicts surrounding the construction of Hungary’s new nuclear plant

PM Orbán tried to prevent hospital dramas with vaccination. In the end, he could only hide them

“A story like out of a spy movie,” personal reports by two surveilled Direkt36 journalists

State Secretary who disagreed with a Hungarian cabinet member over Paks nuclear power plant targeted by Pegasus spyware

Attila Aszódi became a target shortly before his dismissal in 2019 at a time when he had several conflicts with the Hungarian cabinet member supervising Paks 2. The State Secretary disagreed with the measures that would have benefitted the Russian party building the new nuclear power plant and would have changed the original timetable of the project.

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

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

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