Hungary begins pursuit of billions tied to Orbán’s system

In Hungary, the bureaucratic phrase “asset recovery” has become the banner for one of the new government’s most important campaign promises. Prime Minister Peter Magyar and his Tisza party want the state to reclaim money and property that they say reached oligarchs, political allies, front figures and members of Viktor Orbán’s family through questionable means.

The government also wants those who benefited illegally to face legal consequences. Many Hungarians, according to the article, expect the new administration above all to return what they believe was taken from citizens. Social media posts have expressed a desire to see beneficiaries of Orbán’s system arrested and imprisoned.

The sums at stake are enormous. Magyar spoke during the campaign of about 60 billion euros allegedly redirected illegally under Orbán. Other estimates now circulating are as much as three times higher. The question of whether the recovery effort succeeds is expected to have a decisive effect on Magyar and his party’s political future.

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asset recovery

Public anger is linked to images of the former prime minister’s system: luxury villas, private planes, yachts and multibillion-euro public contracts involving Orbán’s family, political allies and oligarchs. The article says the system also supported a wider network of Fidesz officials, entrepreneurs, artists, academics and journalists close to Orbán, often with loyalty serving as their main qualification.

That picture is set against poverty affecting many Hungarians, young people leaving the country, neglected public infrastructure, difficult conditions in schools and hospitals, and a budget deficit currently equal to 7.5 percent of GDP. Less than four months after Magyar’s government took office, the campaign moved into practical implementation. Parliament created the National Office for Asset Recovery and Protection, or NVVH, by law at the end of July. Its formation will continue in the coming weeks, but the article already describes it as a highly independent “super-institution” with unusually broad powers.

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hear the handcuffs being put on