HATC SAMPLE EDITION:
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8th January, 2026
2021 report exposed conditions at Szolo utca facility
A 2021 ombudsman report revealed serious abuses and systemic failures at the Szolo utca reformatory, including unjustified handcuffing, humiliating treatment, staff shortages, and unqualified personnel, as some of the guards there were trained as security guards, animal breeders, or painters.
The findings emerged after an unannounced inspection by the National Preventive Mechanism in June 2021.
Anti-Covid measures were adequate, but inspectors documented high staff turnover, widespread overtime, fewer nurses than required by law, and even expired medications, all of which endangered children’s right to health.
The report warned that overworked and underqualified staff increased the risk of burnout, impatience, and inhumane or degrading treatment.
Some children were forced to clean floors on their hands and knees, while others were taken to medical appointments in handcuffs, with police present during examinations, violating human dignity and data protection laws.
Separately, an internal child protection study made public in 2021 found that guardians were aware of more than 3,300 abused children, with one in five children in specialised care affected.
Tisza party president Peter Magyar said yesterday that the findings show that authorities had long-standing knowledge of systemic child abuse. (hvg.hu; 24.hu; mfor.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Dismissed head of Szolo utca centre reinstated at Debrecen
Laszlo Balazs Varga, who led the scandal-hit Szolo utca reformatory for less than a week in December, has been reinstated as deputy director of the Debrecen reformatory, opposition MP Timea Szabo reported on Facebook.
Szabo criticised the move, noting that Varga’s name has previously been linked to professional misconduct.
Varga replaced Karoly Kovacs-Buna at Szolo utca after Kovacs-Buna was caught on video assaulting residents and is now under investigation.
Varga’s appointment as head of Szolo utca was revoked on December 17 by the National Penitentiary Headquarters, which oversees reformatories.
No official reason for his departure was given.
Previous reporting by website Jelen indicated that Varga lacked qualifications in education, mental health, or social work, yet he was appointed deputy director at Debrecen just weeks after joining the institution.
There was a surge in suicide attempts at the reformatory in 2025, with more incidents in six months than in the previous 20 years.
Szabo also noted that Varga failed to report misdeeds by Peter Pal Juhasz, the former director of the Szolo utca institution, despite repeated complaints from residents.
She is now demanding explanations from Interior Minister Sandor Pinter and the government, questioning how Varga can work with children without facing prosecution for failing to fulfil his reporting obligations. (hvg.hu; nepszava.hu; mfor.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Magyar suspends campaign to focus on snow removal
The Tisza Party is pausing its election campaign until Friday, as activists instead help with snow removal and aid efforts, party leader Peter Magyar announced on Wednesday.
He said candidates and supporters will assist with clearing snow, distributing firewood, and providing help in the form of transportation, hot tea, and basic support to those affected by the severe weather.
Posting a video of himself and a crew shovelling snow at a bus stop, Magyar said the team would travel to Nograd to deliver firewood to families in need.
Heavy snowfall across the country caused delays on the M1 motorway, as well as problems with MAV and Volan services. (hvg.hu; nepszava.hu; 24.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Fidesz announces new candidates in Budapest
Fidesz presented its 16 individual parliamentary candidates for Budapest constituencies on Tuesday evening, following live campaign speeches by Viktor Orban and Alexandra Szentkiralyi.
The list includes a mix of returning politicians and newcomers.
Szentkiralyi emphasised that the candidates “do not want to talk about Budapest, but want to work for it”.
Orban declared that Fidesz must win the capital city and not a single street or apartment building should be conceded to its opponent.
“Based on the work done, I can say that we have a chance to win not only in the countryside, but also in Budapest”, the prime minister said, rather optimistically, in Telex’s view.
Only four of the 2022 Budapest candidates are running again. Szilard Nemeth was replaced after three defeats, and Zsolt Nemeth, Balazs Bus and Zsolt Wintermantel will not run individually either.
Noteworthy replacements include Balazs Nemeth, the spokesman for the Fidesz parliamentary caucus, Robert Antal D. Kovacs, the mayor of Budapest’s Tenth District, and Richard Tarnai, president of the Pest county council.
Changes follow the 2024 election law amendment, reducing Budapest’s individual constituencies from 18 to 16, a move that could negatively affect the opposition, which won 17 of 18 constituencies in 2022.
Other noteworthy Fidesz candidates include Csilla Fazekas, deputy mayor of the First District, Akos Hadhazy’s challenger Bela Radics, and state secretary Attila Fulop.
Despite the opposition’s strong position in Budapest, Fidesz remains focused on the capital due to the impact of vote differences on the national list under the winner compensation system, according to Telex. (telex.hu)
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8th January, 2026
MVM extends cut-off moratorium for households
State energy company MVM is extending its voluntary disconnection moratorium for residential customers beyond its original expiry date at the request of the Energy Ministry, due to the extreme cold, deputy minister Gabor Czepek said on Tuesday.
Households will continue to receive electricity and gas supplies until January 31, even if their arrears exceed 60 days.
The moratorium entered into effect on November 29, and was due to end on January 6.
The measure applies exclusively to residential customers and does not cover those who have already been disconnected or clients supplied by business or alternative energy providers. (portfolio.hu; nepszava.hu; hirado.hu; mfor.hu; magyarnemzet.hu; telex.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Truck drivers and ministry begin talks
Representatives of the Ministry of Construction and Transport and protesting truck drivers held talks on Tuesday afternoon, reviewing the drivers’ 12-point proposal and agreeing to continue negotiations next week.
Drivers objected last month to a major reform that would divert trucks from smaller roads onto expressways while sharply increasing tolls.
Although the ministry reached agreements with several sectoral organisations in December, many drivers objected and demonstrated in Budapest on December 22, creating traffic chaos.
Since then, the disgruntled truckers have formed the Hungarian Independent Transporters Association (MFFE).
According to the MFFE, the announced reform could force drivers into lengthy detours that, combined with a 35% toll increase, could triple transport costs and drive up prices, especially food prices.
At Tuesday’s meeting, deputy minister Nandor Csepreghy agreed that the MFFE will be included in sectoral talks, discussions on toll reform will continue until March 1, and efforts will be made to avoid disadvantaging Hungarian carriers.
A proposed moratorium on fines until March was discussed but not agreed.
MFFE organiser Tibor Orosz called the talks constructive and a “huge success”, while noting that they mark only the beginning of the process. (telex.hu; hvg.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Hundreds of thousands fall out of healthcare system
The proportion of Hungarians registered with a family doctor has dropped below 93%, according to G7, citing data from the state health insurance fund NEAK.
Registration fell from 96% to 92.7% between 2014 and 2023, meaning that some 7% of the population has no family doctor.
Reasons include working abroad despite having a Hungarian address, lack of valid health insurance, and growing numbers of districts without permanent family doctors.
Earlier data from the Central Statistics Office show that the proportion of people eligible for healthcare services fell from 97% in 2010 to 94% by 2018, leaving hundreds of thousands outside the system. (hvg.hu; telex.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Unemployment steady in November
The jobless rate was 4.4% in November, as the number of registered unemployed was 213,500, the Central Statistics Office reports.
The corresponding figures were 4.4% and 217,400 in October, and 4.5% and 221,200 in November of 2024.
The number of employed persons was 4,637,100, down by 41,900 from 4,679,000 a year earlier.
In the September-November period, the number of employed was 4,655,600 of whom 106,100 were employees posted abroad and 75,400 were in the public works scheme.
That means 4,474,100 people worked in the domestic primary labour market, 43,100 less than the level measured in the same period of 2024.
The number of employed people has been below 4.5 million for several months.
The average number of unemployed in the September-November period was 216,200, down by 14,600 from 230,800 a year earlier, as the unemployment rate dropped from 4.7% to 4.4%.
The unemployment rate among men of working age was 4.7%, up from 4.6% a year earlier, and 4.2% among women, down from 4.8%.
The average period of unemployment was 12.3 months in September-November, when 33.9% of those unemployed had been out of work for more than a year.
According to different statistics compiled by the national employment service NFSZ, there were 221,000 registered unemployed at the end of November, a 1.9% decrease, year-on-year. (ksh.hu; portfolio.hu; economx.hu; telex.hu; mfor.hu; magyarnemzet.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Rise in industrial prices peters out
Industrial producer prices were down 2.7% year-on-year in November, reversing the 1.8% year-on-year growth in October, the Central Statistics Office announced on Wednesday.
Compared to the previous month, domestic sale prices rose by 0.3%, while export prices fell by 0.5%, so industrial producer prices decreased by 0.3% overall.
Domestic industrial producer prices sank by 1.1% in the manufacturing sector, which accounts for 62.7% of the total, and fell by 2.8% in the energy sector, which makes up 35.4%.
Export prices in manufacturing, with a weight of 91.8%, decreased by 2.2%, while prices in the energy sector, with a weight of 8%, plunged by 11.7%. (ksh.hu; economx.hu; mfor.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Property transfer tax exemption period extended
Effective January 1, property purchasers can claim property transfer tax relief on a replacement purchase if they sold their previous home within five years before the acquisition or within one year after it.
A recent amendment extended the exemption period to five years from the initial three.
The one-year post-purchase window remains unchanged.
The tax base will continue to be the difference between the market values of the two properties.
Without relief the standard property transfer tax stands at 4% of the acquired property’s market value, calculated without deducting any encumbrances. (portfolio.hu)
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8th January, 2026
AAK raises 3bn euros in eurobond sale
State debt manager AKK yesterday issued euro 3 billion in eurobonds, selling euro 2 billion of seven-year instruments and euro 1 billion of 12-year bonds, the latter structured as green securities, Reuters reports.
Investor demand was strong: bids exceeded euro 6.1 billion for the seven-year tranche and more than euro 3.8 billion for the 12-year green bonds. (portfolio.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Govt launches euro 1bn airport rail link tender
The government has launched an international public procurement tender for a high-speed rail connection to Budapest Airport, a project with an estimated cost of euro 1 billion and a 35-year concession structure.
Applications are due by February 6.
The railway will be owned 80% by the concessionaire and 20% by the state, Economy Ministry state secretary Mate Loga said. He described the project as having reached an “irreversible stage”, emphasising that the upcoming elections will not deter potential bidders.
The line would consist of 27km of new track, two railway overpasses and an underground station at Ferihegy, built beneath the airport’s current holiday parking area.
The first phase, covering the dedicated airport section of track, could be completed by 2030-31, allowing trains to run at 15-minute intervals, albeit without full network integration.
A second phase, extending and integrating the line, could follow by 2033-34, depending on capacity and construction progress, according to Ferenc Antal, deputy state secretary at the Transport Ministry.
The concessionaire will be required to obtain a new construction permit, with land arrangements handled in co-operation with the state asset manager MNV.
Rail concessions are rare in Hungary: none have been granted since World War I, with earlier examples dating back to the 19th century that were later nationalised.
If planning begins in 2026, construction could start in 2028.
All commercial and operational risks would rest with the concessionaire.
Revenues would come from track-access fees paid by MAV and a platform fee charged to passengers using the airport station – effectively a surcharge on standard rail tickets, Portfolio writes.
At the end of the concession period, the railway would revert to state ownership.
According to Economy Ministry estimates, a platform fee of around Ft 4,000 would make the service competitive with taxis.
With more than 19.5 million passengers passing through Budapest Airport last year, officials see a potential market of 10 million users. (portfolio.hu; telex.hu; magyarnemzet.hu; mfor.hu; index.hu; nepszava.hu)
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8th January, 2026
US firm buys majority in Benepack Mako factory
America’s Ball Corp. has agreed to acquire an 80% stake in Benepack’s European beverage-can operations for euro 184 million, effectively taking over one factory in Belgium and another in Mako, in Csongrad county.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter.
The Chinese-built Ft 30 billion Mako plant completed trial operations in August last year and has since entered full production.
The 25,000m2 facility has an annual capacity of up to one billion two-piece aluminium cans and was built to supply beer and soft-drink producers in Romania and Serbia.
In the autumn, the plant employed 49 Hungarian and 33 Chinese workers, with plans to expand the workforce exclusively with local hires. (hvg.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Electric car sales hit new high in 2025
Hungary’s electric car market set another record in 2025, with sales of pure electric passenger cars rising by 28% year-on-year to 11,002 units, according to Datahouse.
The Tesla Model Y remained the country’s best-selling electric car, topping the rankings for a third consecutive year with 1,188 registrations.
Kia’s new EV3 made a strong debut in second place with 699 sales, while Tesla’s Model 3 slipped to third with 634 units after losing momentum over the year.
The BMW iX1 ranked fourth with 493 cars sold, followed by 333 of BYD’s Atto models in fifth place.
At brand level, Tesla narrowly retained first place, just ahead of BYD.
Competition for third position was tight throughout the year, with BMW ultimately edging out Kia.
Overall, the new passenger car market expanded by 6% in 2025 to 129,440 vehicles.
Electric cars accounted for close to 10% of monthly sales in December and 8.5% on average over the year, up from 7% in 2024. (villanyautosok.hu; portfolio.hu)
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8th January, 2026
DHL moves office to Wing facility
DHL Supply Chain, the business services centre of the global logistics group, has selected Wing’s mixed-use Liberty office building at the Nepliget park as its new headquarters, the developer announced.
DHL will occupy 3,000m2 of office space from September, boosting occupancy at the 40,000m2 Liberty facility to 95%. (portfolio.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Wing appoints Walter as deputy CEO
Katalin Walter has joined Wing, one of Hungary’s largest property developers, as general deputy CEO on January 5.
She most recently served as head of the Budapest Transport centre BKK.
Earlier in her career, Walter spent 15 years as a partner at McKinsey & Co. in Frankfurt and Budapest, leading a range of strategic and operational transformation projects.
She later oversaw a major integration programme at a large Hungarian bank and held senior management roles at a regional insurance group.
Walter will support Wing’s chairman and CEO, Noah Steinberg. (portfolio.hu)
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8th January, 2026
Heavy snowfall disrupts Hungary
A nationwide red alert entered into force at 8 a.m. on Wednesday due to severe winter conditions, requiring all social institutions to take in homeless people at risk from the cold, regardless of capacity or mandate.
Authorities say all state agencies were operating at full capacity to cope with the situation caused by the heaviest snowfall in 15 years.
Firefighter Lt. Col. Daniel Mukics said that disaster management, police, ambulance services, road authorities, the army, hospitals, MAV, and Volan are all engaged in extraordinary efforts.
In some areas, including Budapest, access to public institutions has been temporarily hindered.
Transport disruptions continued nationwide, with delays and cancellations on rail and public transport, long traffic jams on highways, and some flight delays and cancellations at Budapest Airport, as storms wreaked havoc at airports across Europe. (nepszava.hu; 24.hu; hvg.hu; telex.hu)
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