Batthyány Lajos Foundation: A Financial Hub of Orbán’s Ecosystem Allocated Over €110 Million to Affiliated Organizations in Just 18 Months

Original article: Batthyány Lajos Foundation: el corazón financiero del ecosistema Orbán distribuyó al menos 110 millones de euros a organizaciones afines en año y medio

The Batthyány Lajos Foundation (BLA), one of the most significant institutions within the political ecosystem established by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, distributed approximately HUF 43 billion (around €110 million) between 2025 and mid-2026 to organizations, think tanks, and entities aligned with the government’s ideological framework, according to documents obtained through public information requests.

Reported by the Investigative Unit of El Ciudadano

The financial architecture of the so-called «Orbán ecosystem» reveals a network of foundations, universities, research centers, and international platforms funded through public resources that subsequently support academic activities, publications, conferences, and political networks both in Europe and beyond, aiming to promote conservative politics and reverse social rights advancements, particularly for women.

A Foundation-Based Model

Documents reviewed from the Hungarian government indicate that the BLA operates not only as a private foundation but also as a recipient of public funds due to executive resolutions. One of these, Resolution 2406/2020, authorized a capital transfer and financing for the foundation’s operations as well as for the institutions it manages, including infrastructure and investments.

The resolution employs the Hungarian legal term «vagyonjuttatás», which refers to a state asset transfer, a mechanism distinct from regular annual grants, raising concerns among those within Kast’s circle, the Chilean president connected to the international operational network as a key player in the Latin American concert due to ties with Abascal and others.

HUF 43 Billion in Just 18 Months

According to information gathered by Magyar Hang, between early 2025 and mid-2026, the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office transferred nearly HUF 43 billion to the Batthyány Lajos Foundation.

The foundation subsequently redistributed these funds among various organizations considered close to the political agenda of Fidesz.

The largest beneficiary was the company Jogállam és Igazság Nonprofit Kft., which manages the Center for Fundamental Rights (Alapjogokért Központ), one of the most influential think tanks in Orbán’s government, headed by Miklós Szánthó.

The organization received:

• HUF 6 billion in 2025;
• HUF 6.6 billion in 2026;

which totals HUF 12.6 billion over two years.

According to documents cited by Magyar Hang, these resources are intended to finance:

• institutional operations;
• salaries;
• publications;
• conference organization;
• institutional representation;
• academic activities.

Funding for CPAC Hungary

One of the most noteworthy aspects of this investigation is that a significant portion of these funds also finances the infrastructure that facilitates the organization of CPAC Hungary, the Hungarian version of the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Documents indicate that approximately HUF 2 billion may be allocated to workshops, seminars, and conferences organized by the Center for Fundamental Rights, including CPAC Hungary.

This detail is particularly significant because CPAC Hungary has become one of the primary international meeting spaces for conservative leaders from Europe, the United States, and Latin America.

Participants in various editions have included representatives from political parties, foundations, and think tanks from numerous countries, including Spanish leaders from VOX and Latin American politicians like the current President of Chile José Antonio Kast.

During his appearance at CPAC 2024 held in Hungary, Kast did not hesitate to attack former President Gabriel Boric, stating, «In Chile, we are governed by a ‘woke’ president. A president under 40 years old, who rides a bicycle down the street with police escorts, who arrives at work late, leaves early, and some days doesn’t even go to work.»

Kast has described Orbán as an «inspiring» figure.

A Much Broader Ecosystem

The documents reveal that the funding is not limited solely to the Center for Fundamental Rights.

Other beneficiary organizations include:

• Apriori Cultura Nonprofit Zrt., which oversees the cultural space network Scruton, receiving HUF 1.2 billion in 2025 and HUF 1 billion in 2026 for facility maintenance and activity organization.
• Oeconomus Gazdaságkutató Alapítvány, a foundation dedicated to economic and geopolitical studies, benefiting from HUF 1.25 billion for 2025 and HUF 1.75 billion for 2026, aimed at research, conferences, and international relations.
• Sarkcsillag Alapítvány.
• Rubicon Intézet.
• Európa Szívében Alapítvány, responsible for the operation of the Szent István Institute.

Additionally, the Batthyány Lajos Foundation funded its own entity BL Nonprofit Kft., which received HUF 550 million in both 2025 and 2026 to manage properties and support publications such as Hungarian Conservative, Hungarian Review, and Magyar Krónika.

The information disclosed by Magyar Hang and corroborated by transparency documents from the Hungarian government obtained by El Ciudadano aligns with patterns observed in official documents previously reviewed by this investigation.

Hungarian government resolutions show that the Executive does not only provide grants but also makes asset transfers and multiyear funding to certain foundations considered strategic. Among them is the Batthyány Lajos Foundation, along with other entities created or strengthened through similar mechanisms that have broadened their reach globally for communication operations and other actions linked to far-right politics that are gradually being exposed.

It is essential to note that the Frente Amplio announced plans to create a special investigative commission to explore President José Antonio Kast’s connections with international organizations associated with former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Frente Amplio Deputy Carolina Tello asserted that publicly known facts warrant a parliamentary investigation in Chile. «We believe that our president must provide the necessary explanations, face our country, and act with total and absolute transparency and integrity,» she emphasized.

Given Kast’s role in foundations linked to Orbán, Deputy Ericka Ñanco mentioned in the Foreign Relations Committee that it is important for the Executive to clarify potential conflicts of interest, which could lead to preferential treatment for Hungary in our country.

Reported by the Investigative Unit of El Ciudadano

Deputy Tello (FA) announces a signature collection process to create an investigative committee examining Kast’s ties with Orbán’s network in Hungary