Viktor Orban’s government has become an enthusiastic partner in Russia’s financial expansion
Vladimir Putin resurrected the International Investment Bank a few years ago to increase Russia’s influence in Central and Eastern Europe. Hungary has become one...
Opposition politician’s businesses are thriving after he teamed up with businessmen close to Viktor Orban’s government
The company group of Gergo Czegledy who is influential within Budapest circles and his partners with links to the government won over the past years state tenders...
A well-connected lawyer wins contract in Hungary’s gigantic nuclear project
Tamas Perenyei was a state secretary during the first Orban-government and he maintains friendly relations with OTP-leader Sandor Csanyi. Last year, he bought a...
How Viktor Orban’s government is favoring the Russians over a Hungarian company in a big business deal
Ganz won the tender with the backing of a state-owned Hungarian bank, but the deal fell through when the Hungarian government decided to redirect the loan to a group...
The EU Anti-Fraud Office investigated irregularities reported by Direkt36
OLAF found several irregularities in the implementation of the Jeremie venture capital programme in Hungary previously reported by Direkt36 in cooperation with Forbes....
How we started our investigation into the Hungarian-Russian relationship
Our article about Klaus Mangold was our first Russian-related story. We received information from government officials and a foreign source who examined Mangold’s...
Orbán’s Game
Intelligence operations, huge business deals, and personal ambitions. These are some of the factors that drive Viktor Orbán in pulling his country closer to Russia....
The Eight Most Interesting Revelations From Our Orbán-Putin Story
Why did Orbán's ally had a business meeting with the Russian secret service? Why was it so important for Orbán to buy the Russian stake in Hungary's oil company?...
How Russians forced out Hungarians from a major company of Hungary’s new nuclear project
Its managing director, Attila Szitár-Csanádi, is known as one of Rosatom’s most trusted people in Hungary. He has played an important role in a controversial...
Company linked to Orbán’s brother won major public tender with the highest bid
The other bidders offered lower prices but they were eliminated from the procurement....