Foreign Affairs head dismissed over secret ministry payments
Get European news in your inbox daily
A short daily digest of the whole continent — or just the countries you care about.
Check your email. We've sent a confirmation link — click it to complete your subscription.
Botond Feledy was dismissed with immediate effect from his position as head of the Foreign Affairs Institute due to a loss of confidence. This follows revelations that his company received 84 million forints over three years from a ministry previously led by János Lázár. Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that Feledy was offered the opportunity to resign but declined, and indicated that the government 'had no other choice' given the circumstances.
In other news, the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) has launched an investigation into the Logosz Foundation for suspected budget fraud, alleging it used public funds meant for objective information to instead publish pro-Fidesz propaganda and campaign for Fidesz MP Balázs Németh. Police are also investigating property purchases made by the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with links to a brother of Minister Márton Nagy.
Parliament is scheduled to elect a Chief Prosecutor, a session during which László Toroczkai made an unusual reference to a brothel. Separately, the Tisza party announced the establishment of a new institution, the Institute for a Working and Humane Hungary. New data also highlights alarming statistics regarding the country's declining population, raising concerns.