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27th August, 2026
House committee to explore political threads behind MNB scandal
Attila Csoszi, chairman of parliament’s investigative committee on the MNB scandal involving the loss of billions of forints, said yesterday before the panel’s first meeting that the committee would trace the flow of funds and identify those politically responsible.
No witness list has been finalised, but Csoszi, a Tisza MP, indicated that former MNB governor Gyorgy Matolcsy and his son will probably be summoned.
Csoszi stressed that the committee will not duplicate ongoing police and prosecutorial investigations into money-laundering and embezzlement, but will instead pursue the “political threads”, exploring who enabled and profited from the loss of hundreds of billions of forints, including Ft 266 billion placed in MNB foundations and Ft 127 billion tied to a Kecskemet university foundation, as well as huge losses on Polish and Swiss investments.
A new law imposes escalating fines, and eventually a possible police escort, on witnesses who refuse to appear when summoned. They may also be punished up to three years in prison.
The committee must report by December 31, 2026.
Wednesday’s inaugural session was largely consumed by procedural wrangling.
Fidesz delegate Bence Tuzson submitted a 19-point amendment just before the meeting began, prompting accusations from Tisza Party members that he was stalling. Tuzson cited technical concerns.
Debate over the work plan followed, with Tuzson and KDNP’s Janos Hargitai maintaining that it was overly ambitious and risked overlapping with other investigations. Their proposal for a full rewrite was voted down, and the plan passed by a 3-2 vote.
On a more harmonious note, the committee unanimously supported a document request motion. (telex.hu; hvg.hu; 24.hu; 444.hu; vg.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Varga ready to release MNB files
The head of the data protection and freedom of information authority, Attila Peterfalvi, told RTL on Tuesday that the MNB had acted unlawfully by refusing to disclose financial information requested by Transparency International.
The anti-corruption group had sought data on the central bank’s subsidies, purchases and commissioned services.
Peterfalvi argued that the MNB is a public body managing public funds and must therefore ensure transparency.
Separately, MNB governor Mihaly Varga also supports publishing the contracts, saying he believes the central bank has nothing to hide. (rtl.hu; 24.hu; nepszava.hu; portfolio.hu; novekedes.hu; telex.hu; hvg.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Magyar videos cabinet meeting
Prime Minister Peter Magyar posted a video on Facebook Wednesday morning after he brought cameras into a weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office on Alkotmany utca.
He told viewers “let us take a quick look ... because there are more than 40 items on the agenda, so it is going to be a very long day”, before the footage shows ministers gathered around the table for a session running into the evening.
In the video, Magyar confirms that all four units at the nuclear power plant in Paks will be running at full capacity by evening, and outlines the day’s agenda: securing EU funds, budget discussions, investment in transport, lessons from the recent energy situation, the climate emergency, and the drought.
The glimpse into cabinet proceedings echoes a practice from the previous government, HVG observes, as Viktor Orban occasionally released similar footage of cabinet meetings.
However, those clips revealed no substantive details and leaned more toward slick image films, often with no narration and scored with dramatic music, seemingly aimed at reinforcing Fidesz’s political narrative, the website adds. (hvg.hu; 24.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Fidesz had access to personal data of users of state-sponsored app
Zoltan Tanacs, head of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said an audit uncovered a co-operation agreement between the Government Service Centre and Fidesz, along with a related data-processing contract, that gave the party access to personal data of Gondosora (Care Watch) program users.
Both agreements were signed on November 3 then were extended on December 30 through the end of this year.
Under the deal, Fidesz acted as a data processor tasked with contacting seniors over 78 who were not using the monitoring program or using it poorly.
Party activists visited these individuals and reported back on reachability and consent.
The partners had access to users’ names, titles, addresses, and age status.
Tanacs called it deeply troubling that a political party contesting an election could use government data to determine who to visit, where, and by demographic, especially involving elderly, vulnerable people shortly before an election.
He announced the termination of the contract and ordered a full audit, promising reports to authorities if misuse is confirmed.
His ministry had already filed a criminal complaint over other Gondosora irregularities, including alleged budget fraud and embezzlement, while the Integrity Authority has filed a separate complaint. (telex.hu; hvg.hu; 24.hu; 444.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Prosecutor Office paid out Ft 5bn in bonuses
Records obtained by HVG from the Office of the Prosecutor General show that 3,905 employees received one-time bonuses in June averaging Ft 1,195,058 gross, about 93.2% of the average monthly salary.
Staff on maternity/childcare leave or facing disciplinary or criminal proceedings were excluded.
Assistant prosecutors and legal clerks received the sum as wage compensation, while others, including 1,764 prosecutors, received it as a bonus.
The Office of the Prosecutor General itself applied a different formula, paying its prosecutors half a month’s salary; 353 staff there received a combined Ft 476.8 million, averaging Ft 1.35 million each. (nepszava.hu; hvg.hu; forbes.hu)
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27th August, 2026
51 former soldiers offer to return
Some 51 former soldiers have so far expressed interest in returning to the Defence Forces, Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said on Wednesday.
Each applicant will be assessed individually for suitability, professional qualifications and whether their expertise is needed, he added.
The return option is open to personnel previously dismissed under earlier measures aimed at rejuvenating the armed forces. (portfolio.hu; hvg.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Govt sends firefighters to Serbia
Hungary is sending a rescue team of 12 professional firefighters and four specialist vehicles to Serbia to help contain the forest fires raging in the neighbouring country.
The Serbian government accepted the offer, and the Hungarian contingent set off from Kecskemet on Tuesday evening, Interior Minister Gabor Posfai reported. (portfolio.hu; infostart.hu; index.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Nuclear plant to reach full capacity Wednesday night
Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on Facebook that the Paks nuclear power plant was expected to reach maximum capacity as early as Wednesday night.
The plant’s units had to be shut down one by one this summer due to record-low Danube water levels, which nearly fell below the intake point of the cooling pumps, leaving only Unit 1 running for weeks.
In response, the government built a bottom shelf in the river. Combined with rainfall in the watershed, this raised the water level enough to bring the remaining units back online one at a time. (hvg.hu; 24.hu; nepszava.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Scope: construction industry at risk
Credit-rating agency Scope Ratings sees growing risks for Hungary’s construction and property sectors as the new government reviews previously approved investments and concessions.
Scope currently rates 20 Hungarian firms in the two sectors, evenly split between construction and real estate. Five have a negative outlook and only one a positive one, suggesting that vulnerabilities predated the latest policy changes.
The government is withdrawing priority status from some projects, reviewing pending planning approvals for certain developments linked to the state-backed Otthon Start housing-loan scheme, and examining long-term infrastructure concessions, including at least one motorway contract. Previous public-private transactions, including asset sales considered unfavourable to the state, are also being reviewed.
Scope said the changes increase execution risk and reduce predictability. Companies dependent on a small number of large projects still awaiting permits are particularly exposed, while uncertainty over concessions complicates long-term financing and business planning.
The release of previously frozen EU funds could nevertheless provide an important counterweight, Scope added. (portfolio.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Fixed investment down 9% in Q2
Fixed investment volume fell by 9.1% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, while seasonally adjusted investment declined by 4.3% from the previous quarter, the Central Statistics Office reported on Wednesday.
Seasonally adjusted investment activity was 7.1% lower than one year earlier.
Manufacturing and transport and storage recorded the largest declines, partly offset by increased investment in real estate activities.
Investment by businesses and budgetary institutions fell, while household investment increased.
According to analyst David Nemeth of K&H, the latest data were disappointing. While detailed data for the second quarter has not yet been released, it is important to note that investment data in the first quarter showed a very mixed picture, he added.
A spectacular rebound is not expected this year, but it is likely that there will be enough investment in the second half of the year to return the economy to the level of 2025, but this would also only mean stagnation, he argued. (ksh.hu; 444.hu; portfolio.hu; mfor.hu; economx.hu; telex.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Work suspended at three CATL plants in Debrecen
Authorities have suspended work at three units of CATL’s battery factory in Debrecen after the Chinese manufacturer itself reported that nine workers were found to have elevated nickel exposure, the Rural and Urban Development Ministry said on Tuesday.
An occupational safety inspection found that the company had failed to provide adequate protective equipment.
Work was halted in the cathode and anode foil laser-cutting, foil-winding and cell-drying units until the deficiencies are corrected.
The Hajdu-Bihar county government office separately approved occupancy of the first phase of the cell-manufacturing building but rejected the application for its second phase on August 19.
The measures follow an environmental fine imposed on the plant a day earlier for violating its environmental permit. (portfolio.hu; economx.hu; origo.hu; telex.hu; index.hu; blikk.hu)
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27th August, 2026
MAV-Stadler deal for 93 Swiss trains derails
A contract between MAV and Stadler to purchase 93 used Swiss multiple units from Switzerland’s Thurbo has failed to take effect because the required maintenance agreement was not signed, railway news website Indohaz Online reported.
MAV and Stadler signed the purchase contract in December 2025 for the refurbishment, certification and delivery of the 20-year-old trains, which were intended mainly for services around Debrecen, Nyiregyhaza and Miskolc.
Their entry into service /also faced opposition from railway professionals and the new government is not keen on keeping contracts signed by the previous government, Indohaz remarks.
The agreement was based on two conditions: preliminary approval, which was obtained in April, and a 15-year comprehensive maintenance contract. The latter could not be secured through the subsequent public-procurement process, preventing the purchase from taking effect. (iho.hu; portfolio.hu; economx.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Bayer Construct files for bankruptcy after govt cancels contract
Bayer Construct has filed for bankruptcy proceedings, its owner, Attila Balazs, informed employees on Wednesday.
The company blamed serious financial pressures caused by regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and the government’s decision to withdraw from the purchase of the Zuglo City Centre office complex in Budapest’s 14th District.
That development project is Bayer’s largest investment. The government had agreed to buy it in November 2023, but the deal stalled after a June 30 deadline for removing third-party pre-emptive rights from the relevant properties was missed.
The government said this breached a key obligation under the preliminary sale agreement and announced on August 3 that it would withdraw from the purchase. (telex.hu; portfolio.hu; 444.hu; index.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Hungary last traditional enamelware factory to close
EMA-Lion Bonyhadi Zomancaru, Hungary’s last traditional enamelware manufacturer, has been placed into liquidation and will permanently close its Bonyhad plant, Magyar Hang reported, citing the Vasas Trade Union Federation.
The factory in the town in Tolna county, founded in 1909, has more than 115 years of history. It was nationalised in 1948, later became part of Zomancipari Muvek and Lampart, and has operated under its current name since 1993.
A court will now appoint a liquidator to take control of the company.
The union said talks are under way to secure the best possible terms for its 150 employees. (hang.hu; telex.hu; blikk.hu; portfolio.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Baka visits hospitalised Gripen pilot
President Andras Baka, also commander-in-chief of Hungary’s armed forces, visited the Gripen fighter pilot injured in Monday’s accident, his office announced Wednesday.
The injured airman underwent successful surgery on Tuesday, and doctors at the EPC Military Hospital are working to ensure a swift recovery, after which he will continue rehabilitation at home.
The Hungarian JAS-39 Gripen had malfunctioned during a training exercise on Monday. Due to the pilot’s preparedness, experience, and quick thinking, the jet ultimately came down outside a populated area, on the grounds of the Szolnok military base after he ejected.
The Military Hospital said on Monday afternoon that the 51-year-old pilot was generally in good condition, though he suffered a spinal injury during the ejection that required surgery. (hvg.hu; 24.hu; economx.hu)
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27th August, 2026
Two killed in explosion at wood storage facility
An explosion took two lives at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday at a wood storage facility on an industrial site in Mohacs, Baranya county, police reported.
The blast was probably caused by powdered wood at the base of the fuel supply system, sending flames 15 metres into the air.
Three workers caught in the fire’s path suffered severe, life-threatening injuries. Two later died after being taken to hospital, while doctors continue fighting to save the third.
Police have opened a criminal investigation on charges of negligent endangerment resulting in death in the course of employment. (24.hu; hvg.hu; nepszava.hu)
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