HATC SAMPLE EDITION:
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8th October, 2026
Constitutional Court invites bids for new presidential post
The Constitutional Court has invited bids in a tender for the position of a new president to serve a three-year term, as stipulated under the Fundamental Law, according to a resolution posted on the Court’s website.
The deadline for submitting bids is 4 p.m. on October 26, and the scheduled date for electing the new president is November 2.
The Constitutional Court’s members will elect a president from among the candidates by secret ballot. A more than 50% majority of the members’ votes is required to elect the president.
The mandate of the former president of the Court, Peter Polt, ended on September 1 after an amendment of the Fundamental Law introduced a mandatory retirement age of 70. Polt had reached that age earlier.
The presidential powers have been exercised by vice-president Agnes Czine since September 1. Her 12-year mandate will expire in the middle of November. (nepszava.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Cabinet discusses tighter rules for electric scooters and 2027 budget
The cabinet’s agenda at its Wednesday meeting included the 2027 budget and tightening regulations on electric scooters, Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on his Facebook page on Wednesday evening.
He wrote that the cabinet also discussed several important investment projects and EU matters. (24.hu; magyarhirlap.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Right-wing media face new challenges
Demokrata magazine received messages in the election campaign from the campaign staff on what to concentrate on, editor-in-chief Andras Bencsik said on HirTV on Wednesday without mentioning Fidesz by name.
He also acknowledged that right-wing media earlier relied on state advertisements, but these funds have dried up.
He said it was obvious that they would have to manage on a smaller budget, but he did not have the heart to dismiss anybody, so he proposed that everybody’s salary be halved and the editorial staff acknowledged that.
In other remarks, Bencsik said, the right-wing public sphere has “practically collapsed”, but in addition to the few remaining press products, many smaller, one- or two-person initiatives have also emerged from nowhere, “a very important part of which is that they are absolutely sovereign and uncontrollable”.
He then began to look for an explanation for the Tisza party’s popularity, and said they made a mistake of feeding the right-wing public with “a form of food. The whole thing about the campaign was so desperate that the entire right-wing media was broadcasting such cliched messages, the same dark, unbaked cliches, that the Ukrainians are coming, they’re taking our soldiers away, and so on,” he said. (telex.hu; 444.hu; nepszava.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Police investigate August 20 tender
Budapest police have opened an investigation into the public-procurement procedure for organising the August 20 events this year, in response to allegations of restricted competition in a public procurement or concession procedure.
The tender came under scrutiny after reports that people linked to the winning bidder had been involved in preparing the event before the procurement procedure was announced.
Former MP Akos Hadhazy and Our Homeland leader Laszlo Toroczkai both filed complaints in the matter.
Hadhazy argued that the problem was not the use of a restricted tender rather than an open one, but alleged that the procedure had been manipulated in a way that stifled competition.
The contract was awarded to Hardrock, an event-organising company associated with the Tisza Party. (24.hu; telex.hu; 444.hu; portfolio.hu; index.hu; mfor.hu)
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8th October, 2026
September inflation below expectations
Annual inflation was 1.6% in September, up from 1.3% in August, but below analysts’ average forecast of 1.8%, the Central Statistics Office announced on Wednesday.
Compared to August, prices went up by 0.2%, on average.
Among the largest annual food price increases, in the preceding 12 months, potato prices soared by 7.8%, the price of coffee and catering at workplaces both rose by 6.6%, and cooking oil was 6.4% more costly than a year ago.
On the other hand, butter cost 15.6% less, fruit prices dropped by 14.4%, and pork was 11% cheaper. The price of sugar went down by 8.2%, and that of milk fell by 8.1%.
Household energy became 4% cheaper, including an 11% drop for pipeline gas and a 1.3% increase for electricity.
Core inflation – which excludes energy and seasonal foods – came to 1.9% year-on-year in September, down from 2% in August, and unchanged on a monthly basis.
Over the first nine months, the average inflation was 1.7% year-on-year.
According to analyst Peter Virovacz of ING Bank, if companies’ short-term inflation expectations remain anchored and the MNB’s new lowered inflation target of 2.5% increasingly becomes a benchmark, then further positive inflation surprises could well occur. (ksh.hu; portfolio.hu; economx.hu; 444.hu; telex.hu; mfor.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Budget Council flags risks to revised budget
The Budget Council has identified several risks to the government’s revised 2026 budget, including external economic and geopolitical tensions, higher energy prices and a severe domestic drought.
The budget deficit target has been raised from 3.7% to 7.5% of GDP, in line with the government’s July projection, following a large deficit at the start of the year and a weaker macroeconomic environment.
The central-government cash-flow deficit target has consequently risen to Ft 7,110.1 billion, of which Ft 3,382 billion had been recorded in the first half.
The council welcomed the formal inclusion of the higher deficit target in legislation, saying this would improve transparency in assessing fiscal performance.
Economic growth is now expected at 2.0%, compared with the original 4.1% target, although stronger real household wages and consumption provide some offset.
Public debt stood at 75.6% of GDP at the end of the first half and could rise to 77.5% by year-end as the wider deficit and higher liquidity reserves add to borrowing needs. The impact is partly cushioned by the stronger forint against the euro.
The government is due to submit a new medium-term budgetary and structural plan in October, in which it must commit to a path of gradually lower deficits and a declining public debt to GDP ratio, the council advised. (portfolio.hu; novekedes.hu; mfor.hu; economx.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Szeged invites designs for urban renewal project
Szeged has launched a design tender for the comprehensive renewal of the city’s northern districts, with the Ft 1.36 billion, partly EU-funded project aimed at improving green spaces, community areas and infrastructure, Magyar Epitok reported.
A central element will be sustainable stormwater management: runoff from paved surfaces and roofs will be channelled into green areas and retained locally rather than discharged immediately.
Technical proposals are due by November 12, with the urban-rehabilitation project scheduled for completion by the end of April 2029. (portfolio.hu)
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8th October, 2026
EU takes Hungary to court over MOL Croatian claim
The European Commission (EC) is taking Hungary to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) over a dispute involving MOL and Croatia, Croatian daily VeÄŤernji List reports.
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington ruled in MOL’s favour in 2022, and a US federal court in Washington later converted the award into a judgment worth $286 million, potentially allowing MOL to pursue Croatian assets in the US.
According to VeÄŤernji List, the EC argues that Hungary should have prevented MOL from seeking recognition and enforcement of an arbitration award in a non-EU country because the award is incompatible with EU law.
The EC reportedly considers MOL to be under Hungarian state control, based not only on the state’s ownership stake but also on its ability to exercise decisive influence over the company.
The EC’s position is based on CJEU case law that has ruled intra-EU investment arbitration to be incompatible with EU law.
If the CJEU upholds the EC’s case, Hungary would be required to remedy the breach.
One possible consequence, according to the report, could be an obligation for the government to prevent MOL from enforcing the US ruling. (hvg.hu; magyarhirlap.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Meszaros-Szijj consortium may accept end to motorway concession
A consortium linked to Lorinc Meszaros and Laszlo Szijj has accepted the cabinet decision and is prepared to cancel the 35-year, Ft 23 trillion motorway concession agreement signed with the Fidesz government, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Facebook.
However, MKIF told HVG that it is negotiating with the Ministry of Transport and Investment over the future of the Ft 23 trillion concession.
The Orban government awarded the 35-year contract to build and maintain motorways with MKIF in May 2022, and paid it Ft 700 billion until the end of 2025.
Owned through private-equity funds linked to billionaires Meszaros and Szijj, MKIF took over the operation, maintenance and development of 1,200-1,300km of motorways and expressways from September 2022, while also undertaking new construction and expansion. The state pays an availability fee under the arrangement.
The Magyar government reviewed the contract and said in September that some services were significantly overpriced and several provisions were unlawful.
MKIF said it would not comment on the details until the talks are concluded.
Magyar and Transport and Investment Minister David Vitezy said at a September 18 press conference that the concession was “over” and that a formal complaint would be filed against MKIF regarding suspected overpricing. (portfolio.hu; hvg.hu; telex.hu; 24.hu; 444.hu; economx.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Vitezy floats public-procurement bans for Fidesz-favoured firms
Transport and Investment Minister David Vitezy said the government had identified indications of serious irregularities in past public-procurement procedures involving figures linked to the previous administration and would take action in the coming weeks.
Vitezy said the measures could affect companies associated with prominent Fidesz-era businessmen, including Lorinc Meszaros and Laszlo Szijj.
Such proceedings could ultimately prevent the companies concerned from competing for public construction contracts, said Vitezy. (hvg.hu; telex.hu; 444.hu; nepszava.hu)
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8th October, 2026
OTP urges end to banks special taxes
Hungary’s banking sector has paid Ft 2,654 billion in sector-specific taxes between 2010 and 2026, rising to Ft 5,258 billion when other levies are included, OTP CEO Peter Csanyi said in a presentation.
The windfall tax increase introduced last November means banks’ tax payments this year exceed corporate-tax revenues, Csanyi said, arguing that the government should urgently set out a plan to reduce and eventually phase out the sector’s special tax burden.
OTP’s experience in Bulgaria and Croatia, both of which adopted the euro, suggests that credible economic policy can drive bond-yield convergence well before euro adoption, he said.
Foreign investors are making a similar bet on Hungary, but this depends on a predictable fiscal path, as a loss of confidence could trigger a sell-off in government bonds and a sharp rise in yields.
Investors will assess the government’s three-year convergence programme for both realism and credibility. Meeting the 2029 deficit target will require an additional fiscal adjustment of about 1.4 percentage points. (portfolio.hu; vg.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Lidl tops discount grocery sector
Food retail chain Lidl has significantly outperformed rivals Aldi and Penny in Hungary since 2019, according to a HVG analysis covering the six years through 2025.
The three chains generated combined domestic net revenue of nearly Ft 12.6 trillion and aggregate profit of about Ft 212 billion.
Lidl accounted for almost Ft 6,900 billion of revenue and Ft 204 billion of profit, compared with Ft 2,869 billion and Ft 21 billion for Penny.
Aldi generated Ft 2,812 billion in revenue but recorded a cumulative loss of almost Ft 13 billion.
Lidl’s annual revenue rose from Ft 551 billion in 2019 to Ft 1,483 billion in 2025, while Penny’s increased from Ft 269 billion to Ft 562 billion and Aldi’s from Ft 246 billion to Ft 533 billion.
Lidl remained profitable throughout, while Penny recorded losses in 2022 and 2025 and Aldi has been loss-making for the past three years.
Lidl also led on revenue per store, increasing from Ft 3.03 billion in 2019 to Ft 6.74 billion in 2025. Penny’s grew from Ft 1.21 billion to Ft 2.28 billion, while Aldi’s increased from Ft 1.71 billion to Ft 2.85 billion between 2019 and 2023 before levelling off.
The Hungarian Aldi is moving towards hard discounting. This means a narrower selection than before and the most cost-effective operation possible, HVG observes. (hvg.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Deli train station closed this weekend
Deli train station in Budapest will be completely closed on October 10-11 for maintenance, Transport and Investment Minister David Vitezy said on Facebook.
The work will include repairs to points, the replacement of rails and sleepers, restoration of the Kelenfold tunnel entrance and retaining wall, and repairs to damaged platform surfaces.
A broader redevelopment of the station area is also due to begin soon under the Gabor Baross Railway Development Plan.
The announcement follows a shunting locomotive derailment at Deli on Monday, which disrupted rail services. (24.hu; economx.hu; telex.hu; index.hu; hvg.hu; portfolio.hu)
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8th October, 2026
Florian ter overpass renovation complete
Renovation of Budapest’s Florian ter overpass, near Arpad Bridge in the Third District, has been completed, the BKK announced on Wednesday.
The northern overpass towards Szentendrei ut reopened to traffic in August. The remaining minor repairs and restoration of the surface-level are now finished.
The project had a gross budget of Ft 3.27 billion, but competitive procurement allowed the work to be completed for 59.45% of the original estimate. (hvg.hu)
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