The Russian Connection
Orbán blocked the idea that could have pushed out Russia from Hungary’s nuclear plant expansion
Last year, there were talks in government circles about starting building a third nuclear power plant with the French, which could have led to the insignificance of the Russian-built Paks II. Direkt36 learned new details about the Orbán government's big power maneuvers in nuclear issues.
Direkt36
Secret documents reveal that Orbán’s people were behind the purchase of one of Europe’s biggest TV channels
Two years ago, a Portuguese businessman with good Hungarian government connections bought the Euronews TV channel. Direkt36, together with Le Monde and Expresso, found out that a large part of the money was provided by a Hungarian state capital fund and a long-standing player in the government propaganda machine. According to leaked internal documents, the investment also had political aims.
Swallowed EU Funds
The government official asked for two million forints instead of sausages – here is the indictment on the theft of EU money involving ministries
Direkt36 has also obtained the indictment, which reveals a series of fraudulent practices involving EU tenders. According to the document, Tamás K. and his accomplices, a consultant working in the Ministry of National Economy and its successor, the Ministry of Finance, built up a corruption network involving dozens of people over the years. According to the prosecutors, Gyula Barta-Eke, a member of László Palkovics' circle, and a former deputy state secretary, Tamás Karsai, were also involved in some of the frauds.
MCC
MCC’s luxury spending leaked, from a €250 thousand winter camp to blatantly expensive receptions
While at other colleges students prepare a few sandwiches for their events, the taxpayer-funded Mathias Corvinus Collegium spends huge sums on parties and events, foreign hotels and hosting international guests sympathetic to the government. Direkt36 used insider information to reveal MCC's luxury spending.
Secrets of the Propaganda Machine
How Orbán flooded Central Europe with millions of online ads during election season
While the Hungarian government is very sensitive to its own sovereignty, it has also been running serious advertising campaigns in Slovakia and Poland, among others, during the elections there. Direkt36 analyzed the available data on the Hungarian government’s advertising campaign targeting seven countries.
Pardon scandal
Orbán, Judas and the gay lobby – behind Zoltán Balog’s attempt to rescue himself in his church
The pardon scandal has shaken Zoltán Balog's position within the Reformed Church, but in recent weeks he has managed to consolidate his power. According to a Direkt36 investigation, the bishop has succeeded in making people believe that the whole church is under attack and has assured everyone that PM Viktor Orbán entrusted him to handle the matter.
Pardon scandal
How Viktor Orbán tried to extinguish the pedophile pardon scandal that shook his government
The government initially hoped that they could get away with it, but when they saw the internal polls, they knew they had to act. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán personally directed the reponse that led to the forced resignation of Hungary's president and a former minister. Direkt36 has uncovered new details about the what happened behind the scenes in the government during the pardon scandal.
The Russian Connection
Orbán’s true reasons for opposing Ukraine’s EU accession revealed
According to information obtained by Direkt36, prime minister Orbán said at a closed-door meeting last spring that Ukraine's accession would increase US influence in the region. He also said that he had warned French President Emmanuel Macron about this but that he did not fully understand Orbán's calculations.
Direkt36
Uncovering the secret African mission of Viktor Orbán’s son
The son of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has tried to hide his involvement in the planned Hungarian military mission in Chad in an almost comical way. The government was also secretive, but when they discovered that Direkt36 and the French newspaper Le Monde had obtained evidence of Gáspár Orbán's involvement in the Chad military project, they were quick to make it public. Here is the story of the revelation.
Pardon scandal
Orbán’s former minister was pushing for the pardon that led to the fall of Hungary’s first female president
Direkt36 and Telex have learned from several independent sources that head of the Hungarian Reformed Church Zoltán Balog, who has long been a confidant of Hungarian president Katalin Novák, played a crucial role in the presidential pardon which led to Novák’s resignation.
Hospital-acquired infections
“Washing our hands” – here is the documentary uncovering the secrets of hospital-acquired infections
Direkt36 has spent more than a year investigating the worsening situation of hospital-acquired infections in Hungary. Watch our documentary film that tells the story of several victims and exposes the shortcomings of the Hungarian health-care system that lead to the problem.
Hospital-acquired infections
Some Hungarian hospitals have been facing a serious infection situation for years. Yet nothing happens to them
Never before has it been possible to get a deeper look into the most frightening corners of the Hungarian health system. Direkt36 has obtained the latest data on hospital-acquired infections between 2017 and 2022.
Direkt36
Editors stand by the attacked Atlatszo
(Magyar) A nemrég elfogadott szuverenitásvédelmi törvényre hivatkozva indult propagandisztikus támadás az Átlátszó ellen épp a sajtószabadság ünnepéhez közeledve.
Direkt36
“If you are new to this, I’ll see you through it all the way” – The internet is full of ads in Hungarian recruiting sex workers, but authorities see no problem with them
Although encouraging prostitution is a criminal offence In Hungary, the authorities say there is nothing wrong with openly advertising foreign sex work to Hungarian women. Direkt36 looked behind the sex work advertisements as part of an international investigative project.
Direkt36
The “Sovereignty Protection Authority” is harmful and against the rule of law, yet it cannot intimidate independent media
The newly adopted "Sovereignty Protection" law does not expressly regulate the operation of media companies, it is, however, capable of severely restricting the freedom of the press. It is meant to directly undermine democratic debate in general, and should be entirely rejected.
Hospital-acquired infections
The Ministry of Interior says there is no problem with hospital-acquired infections. However, a leaked document says they know the situation is serious
According to an internal document of the Ministry of Interior leaked to Direkt36, health care authorities are aware of the gravity of problems caused by hospital-acquired infections in Hungary. Miniszter Sándor Pintér is involed in the deliberations, and measures were proposed to address the crisis. However, according to the leaked document funding for improvement will be scarce.
Offshore Secrets
Swiss Bank Account Tied to Hungarian Tycoon Provides New Details of Alleged Misuse of Government Funds
In an ongoing criminal case prosecutors claim officials of the Ministry of Agriculture fraudulently disbursed HUF 2,2 billion in 2019. Direkt36 has learned that authorities are now leading inquiries into how half of that money ended up in the Swiss bank account of a Panamanian offshore company tied to the well known Hungarian business tycoon Kristóf Nobilis.
Offshore Secrets
Minister Csaba Lantos’ former secret business revealed from the Cyprus Confidential project
The energy minister had a company in Cyprus at a time when Viktor Orbán was attacking others for such businesses. Direkt36 obtained the documents of this deal, which involved hundreds of millions of forints, as part of the international investigative project called Cyprus Confidential.
Hospital-acquired infections
In England, the cleaner is the most important person in the hospital. How did other countries manage to decrease hospital-acquired infections?
While the spread of dangerous hospital-acquired infections is a growing problem in Hungary every year, it is being successfully managed elsewhere. In England, this problem has been solved with a lot of attention and radical transparency. In other words, they have done almost the opposite of what is happening in Hungary. Part four of Direkt36's Semmelweis Project.
Hospital-acquired infections
“We just spread the bacteria all over the hospital” – Why is the prevalence of dangerous hospital-acquired infections growing in Hungary?
A 35-year-old mother has contracted a serious hospital infection because she was left for hours without changing a contaminated diaper that was put on her after an operation. In the third part of the Semmelweis Project, Direkt36 looks at how hospital conditions can cause such infections.
Hospital-acquired infections
Until now, it was a secret how Hungarian hospitals were dealing with infections. Direkt36 has created and now publishes their ranking.
For the first time, we publish a ranking of how Hungarian hospitals compare to each other based on the handling of hospital-acquired infections. One of the most problematic institutions itself admits to have conditions typical of the 1950s. Semmelweis Project, Part II.
Hospital-acquired infections
Thousands of hospital patients are dying from terrible infections. Instead of addressing the situation, the government is working to cover it up
Year after year, hospitals report an increasing amount of serious and even fatal hospital-acquired infections, but the reality is even worse than what the official data shows. Authorities and the government are trying to sweep the problem under the carpet, but Direkt36 has managed to uncover details hidden until now. Semmelweis Project, Part I.