Since resigning as Hungary\u2019s president, Katalin Nov\u00e1k has largely avoided public appearances at home. But on June 17, she resurfaced at a panel discussion in Timi\u0219oara (Temesv\u00e1r), Romania, where she spoke about the difficulties she faced during her presidency. \u201cI\u2019d be lying if I said I haven\u2019t just been through a hellish year and a half,\u201d she remarked, referring to the period since her resignation in February 2024.<\/p>\n
While Nov\u00e1k may have faced political challenges, she has not encountered financial hardship. For the rest of her life, she is entitled to a presidential pension equal to the salary of the sitting president\u2014currently \u20ac14,000 per month (5.7 million forints). She also receives state-provided housing, staff, and a car with a driver.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
And that’s not all. Nov\u00e1k continues to benefit from her former role in other ways\u2014including keeping a wardrobe worth tens of thousands of euros, purchased with taxpayer money during her time in office.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
At the Timi\u0219oara event\u2014covered in a video report by 444.hu<\/a>\u2014she wore a cream-colored dress that she had frequently appeared in during her presidency. The dress originally cost taxpayers \u20ac300 and remained in her possession after she stepped down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The exact price and details of the dress come from a spreadsheet obtained by Direkt36 through a public information request to the Office of the President, the S\u00e1ndor Palace<\/span>. The over-400-line document itemizes clothing, accessories, and tailoring services purchased for both Katalin Nov\u00e1k and the current president, Tam\u00e1s Sulyok, for official events\u2014none of which were paid for out of their own salaries. (You can access the full spreadsheet here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to the presidential office, between April 2024 and April 2025, President Sulyok spent just under \u20ac5,000 (HUF 2 million) on clothing. The current president had five blazers purchased by the S\u00e1ndor Palace: two together for <\/span>\u20ac650 (HUF 260,000), one for <\/span>\u20ac112 (45,000 forints), and another two for a total of <\/span>\u20ac730 (292,000 forints). The latter also represents Sulyok\u2019s most expensive clothing purchase\u2014his priciest blazers cost \u20ac365 (145,990 forints) each. <\/span>The list also includes a pair of rubber boots (\u20ac150, or 60,000 forints) and two shirts with two ties that were acquired for free\u2014likely as part of a promotional offer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In contrast, spending under Nov\u00e1k was dramatically higher. Between June 2022 and February 2024\u2014less than two years\u2014the presidential office spent over \u20ac80,000 (32.5 million forints) on her wardrobe. In some months, clothing expenses reached \u20ac7,500\u201310,000 (3\u20134 million forints), roughly equivalent to her monthly salary at the time. The list includes numerous luxury items, such as silk dresses and tailoring bills approaching half a million forints, as well as textile repair services costing between \u20ac750 and \u20ac1,000 (300,000\u2013400,000 forints) per instance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The spreadsheet notes that 345 clothing items and related services acquired during Nov\u00e1k\u2019s term were later \u201cwritten off.\u201d When asked for clarification, the presidential office confirmed that Nov\u00e1k kept these items after her resignation. According to Direkt36\u2019s calculations, the Hungarian state originally paid more than \u20ac76,000 (30.6 million forints) for these clothes\u2014which Nov\u00e1k was later allowed to keep free of charge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In only 14 cases did the presidential office sell items originally purchased for Nov\u00e1k, and even then, at heavily discounted prices. The office confirmed that Nov\u00e1k herself bought these garments, paying just over \u20ac1,400 (HUF 575,000) for clothing that had originally cost \u20ac4,700 (1.9 million forints). Her best deal was a formal evening gown bought in March 2023 for \u20ac1,100 (450,000 forints); she later acquired it for just \u20ac71 (28,575 forints).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to the office, when Nov\u00e1k left, a senior protocol official decided which garments she could keep for free, which could be offered for sale, and at what price.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The spreadsheet also details where each item came from. Among the listed vendors, Direkt36 identified several designers and businesspeople with ties to Hungary\u2019s ruling elite.<\/p>\n In response to our inquiry, Katalin Nov\u00e1k\u2019s secretariat stated that she aimed to maintain an appearance appropriate to her position and did not purchase any clothing for personal use with state funds. According to the secretariat, clothing purchases were planned with a five-year presidential term in mind, and they prioritized the work of young Hungarian designers. They added that after her resignation, Nov\u00e1k bought the outfits she had worn frequently during her presidency at values determined by the S\u00e1ndor Palace. They also claimed that she donated a significant portion of these garments after purchasing them. The secretariat did not address our questions regarding the clothes Nov\u00e1k took home without payment.<\/p>\n