Direkt36's has obtained a document with details of the former government official's controversial trip to Zurich. According to the file he met with an influential German businessman to discuss cooperation between the Hungarian government and various multinational companies.
The previous Hungarian government launched inspections at children’s homes after it came to light that then President Katalin Novák had pardoned the accomplice of a convicted pedophile (both men had worked at such an institution). The reports, however, remained confidential. Direkt36 has now obtained the documents, which detail serious shortcomings and appalling conditions.
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. According to a document obtained by Direkt36, as early as 2015 not a single Hungarian hospital met the required operational standards.
According to a Direkt36 investigation, the company owned by Péter Szijjártó’s best friend, Szilárd Benkő, was involved in an African investment project financed by a Hungarian loan and worked on numerous other projects related to foreign affairs. The former minister claims he had no idea about these deals.
Orbán and his team remained confident until the last moment that they could stay in power. Following the election, they did not offer any explanation about the reasons of defeat to its supporters, which sparked a heated debate inside the party. This is Direkt36’s article on the downfall of Fidesz.
In Hungary, some patients can only receive one of the most modern cancer drugs upon individual request. According to research by Direkt36, the evaluation process can take weeks, and this delay may have serious consequences for patients.
Direkt36 reporters found Marcin Romanowski, who faces corruption charges in his home country, in an apartment in Buda. One of the property’s owners was hired last fall by the Fidesz parliamentary group led by Máté Kocsis to serve as a secretary.
Direkt36 reported about an elderly but vigorous woman who was admitted to Szent Imre Hospital with severe pain, but according to her son, she did not receive care appropriate to her condition.
János Lázár’s 2018 spat with Viktor Orbán was more heated than previously known. It took Lázár many years of hard work to return to the center of power, and he needed the help of Lőrinc Mészáros, a government near businessman and Orbán ally to do so. According to research by Direkt36, after 2022, Lázár actively sought out Orbán’s company, trying to convince him that he was far better prepared than his fellow ministers.
Direkt36 recorded an interview with a police detective who worked in the department involved in the investigation against the Tisza IT specialists. In the interview, Bence Szabó spoke in detail about how the secret service had pressured them within the police force. Early Wednesday morning, Szabó was charged with abuse of office, and his home was searched.
According to documents obtained by Direkt36, state funds were secretly directed to a company called 4iG. This happened at the very time when the government decided to sell state-owned defense companies to this firm.
Few people took Péter Magyar seriously when he unveiled a ‘spy pen’ at a press conference in late 2024. Yet, according to documents obtained by Direkt36, agents of a covert operation aimed at bringing down the Tisza Party may have been involved in planting it.
According to documents obtained by Direkt36, a secret operation was carried out to bring down the IT systems of the Hungarian opposition party Tisza. IT specialists affiliated with the party planned to expose this, but then police officers, pressured by the Hungarian secret services, raided them, apparently on trumped-up charges.
The new film by the creators of "The Dynasty" is about what Viktor Orbán did with the extraordinary opportunity he was given to lift the country up. The film presents the history of the past 16 years through the areas that most affect people.
An elderly but vigorous woman was taken by ambulance to Szent Imre Hospital in a serious condition with unbearable pain, where she met with indifference and humiliation.
Direkt36 obtained a photo album from the former central bank governor's birthday party in 2023. Bálint Somlai, key figure in the MNB foundation's affairs, who acquired a huge wealth thanks to central bank deals, also appeared at the event.
“When a child is beaten for an hour, where the hell is an adult?” According to a child protection worker, this is one of the most pressing questions in children’s homes. According to research by Direkt36, the system is unable to curb violence among children due to a severe shortage of professionals.
According to documents obtained by Direkt36, accommodation facilities featuring an underground garage, a hot tub, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a gym are being built on the outskirts of the village. The project is also supported by the partly state-owned MBH Bank.
During one of the hearings on ministerial abuse, it emerged that one of the defendants had sent Márton Nobilis, who was then a high-ranking official at the ministry, to a soccer match in Berlin. Márton Nobilis has not been charged with anything in the case, but his father, a well-known businessman, is sitting in the dock.
According to documents obtained by Direkt36, several residents of the Hűvösvölgy children's home reported verbal and physical abuse by certain employees of the institution. Investigations into the matter yielded conflicting findings, but clearly pointed to serious shortcomings in the country's child protection system.
Many hospitals have so few qualified staff that some wards are simply closed off to patients. Direkt36’s latest investigation reveals that this leads to serious problems in healthcare.
Fidesz underestimated opposition leader Péter Magyar so much that they realized too late that he posed a real threat to them. Direkt36 reveals how Viktor Orbán launched his spring offensive against Magyar and how this caused tensions within the government.
Direkt36 has obtained a document indicating that Lőrinc Mészáros provided significant financial assistance to Győző Orbán. There are several indications that this assistance was related to the controversial estate in Hatvanpuszta.
Last year almost 7,000 infections causing severe diarrhoea occurred in Hungarian hospitals, and 103 outbreaks happened within their walls. According to the statistics published on Thursday by the public health centre, there are enormous differences even between institutions with similar profiles. The standard of the work aimed at preventing infections can vary greatly from one institution to another.
In a complete turnaround from its former secretive attitude, the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy will publish datasets of hospital-acquired infections by Friday morning and make it searchable on an interactive platform. Every year these infections cause unnecessary suffering and serious complications for thousands of hospital patients, yet so far there has been no success in curbing their spread.
According to documents obtained by Direkt36, a company owned by Szilárd Benkő, who is close to the foreign minister, was working on one part of the CATL factory.
Although Antal Rogán (the powerful minister running the cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán) proudly announced more than ten years ago that excessively high credit fees had been curbed, in reality, an escape route remained for companies dealing in quick loans. Direkt36 found out that Provident, the largest player in the market, is taking advantage of this, while also building good relationships with an influential Fidesz leader.
In the 2010s, Hungarian intelligence began spying in Brussels against the EU and tried to recruit Hungarians working in EU institutions for this purpose. However, Hungarian intelligence carried it out so blatantly and clumsily that they were exposed, and their network collapsed — as uncovered by Direkt36 in cooperation with Belgian and German partners.
Documents obtained by Direkt36 indicate that a company with multiple ties to the son of the former governor of the Hungarian Central Bank also profited from the business dealings of the bank's foundation.
The former prime minister's decision to step down was more dramatic than it appeared to the public. According to an investigation by Direkt36, Ferenc Gyurcsány not only faced opposition from some of his party members, but his problems were compounded by a long-standing romantic relationship and the ensuing crisis in his personal life.
According to her own account, former head of state Katalin Novák has had a "hellish year and a half" since her resignation—but she could at least take comfort in the wardrobe she amassed during her presidency. Data obtained by Direkt36 shows that Novák kept most of the clothing free of charge after stepping down, while she purchased a smaller portion from her former office at prices well below their original value.
