 |
|
 
|
|
|
HATC SAMPLE EDITION:
|
|
7th July, 2026
Garancsi exits ad company after political deal
Businessman István Garancsi, the owner of construction company Market Épitő, has sold ESMA Reklám, the company with exclusive rights for placing ads on utility poles, after a political agreement, HVG reports.
According to the weekly, the government initially planned to ban high-mounted billboards, but a bill submitted by three Tisza MPs omitted that restriction on June 3.
HVG learned this was conditional on Garancsi, who is known for his close ties to former prime minister Viktor, Orbán, exiting the company.
A week later, István Bleuer, the former owner of ESMA, became the majority owner of the company, which generated annual revenue of Ft 2-3 billion and after-tax profit of around Ft 500 million in recent years.
HVG recalls that Fidesz banned lamppost advertisements in 2012, after which ESMA removed thousands of ad panels.
After Garancsi acquired the company, a new law was passed that reversed the ban.
Bleuer maintained ownership of Hungaroplakát during the Fidesz era, which continued to generate substantial revenue and profit, but his company is also affected by strict outdoor advertisement rules passed by Tisza’s supermajority.
The new government passed legislation restricting large billboards and encouraging municipalities to remove them, while smaller citylight ads remained permitted.
|
Sources regularly consulted, with abbreviations used in text: Népszabadság (N); Magyar Hírlap (MH); Világgazdaság (VG); Napi Gazdaság (NG); Magyar Nemzet (MN); Népszava (Nsz); Kossuth Rádió news (KR); nightly TV news (TV).
|
|
|
 Contact
Free Trial Subscription
|
|
