Original article: Nuevo Gobierno húngaro sigue la ruta del dinero de Orbán y llega a organización que encabezó Kast

New Hungarian Government Tracks Funds Linked to Orbán, Connecting to Organization Led by Kast

The new Hungarian Government has launched an offensive to trace public funds and assets that may have ended up in the hands of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his associates, while also clarifying the substantial transfers made to the Political Network for Values (PNfV), which was headed by José Antonio Kast from 2022 to 2024.

This judicial initiative led by current Hungarian Premier Péter Magyar comes shortly after an investigative report by El Mostrador revealed that the PNfV was dissolved in the United States for failing to submit its financial statements since 2021.

Magyar stated that this inquiry aims to clarify the mechanisms of state fund transfers to organizations operating under the auspices of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), particularly highlighting the Hungarian branch of the PNfV, which received 1.3 million dollars during the time Kast was in charge. The investigations are set to connect the dots between Hungarian public finances and the funding of these ideological platforms that grew exponentially in influence and resources during Orbán’s era.

To tackle this complex task, the Hungarian Government has appointed the National Asset Recovery Authority (NVVH), an entity established in late July with independence and police and fiscal powers, allowing it not only to investigate cases but also to press criminal charges against those responsible.

The NVVH will be tasked with scrutinizing the fate of state assets from 2010 until Orbán’s departure, and its work will be subject to scrutiny by the Hungarian Parliament while retaining the autonomy needed to act without direct political interference.

The figures involved in this alleged corruption scheme are massive, with estimates starting at 60 billion euros. However, Magyar has suggested that this amount could be even three times higher, placing asset recovery as one of the most colossal and decisive challenges for the new administration.

The success of this mission will not only determine the return of vital funds to the state’s coffers but could also significantly impact the political future of the current Prime Minister and his Tisza party, solidifying their image as a government breaking from the past or, conversely, generating fatigue if promises for justice do not materialize.

The leadership of the new authority has been entrusted to political scientist Anna Unger, 46, who was appointed by Parliament at the end of August after a rigorous selection process involving nearly a hundred candidates. During her presentation, Unger described Orbán’s tenure as something that exceeded traditional corruption, labeling it as a virtually feudal system. In her view, the NVVH’s work will not be limited to asset recovery but will also need to investigate and expose the architecture of that power scheme to ensure that such a situation does not recur in the future.

The landscape this new authority faces is marked by deep social contrasts. While members of the Orbán family, party leaders, and close businessmen have showcased ostentatious luxury with private jets, yachts, and multimillion-dollar public contracts, a significant portion of the Hungarian population endures poverty, deteriorating infrastructure, and critical shortages in schools and hospitals.

Evidence of Orbán’s Funding to the Organization Led by Kast

It is important to note that amid international controversy, El Mostrador’s Investigation Unit gained access in May to a series of official documents that verify the contributions from the Viktor Orbán Government to the PNfV during Kast’s leadership.

According to these records, Hungary transferred 405 million forints (1,341,328 dollars) to the entity between 2020 and 2024, with the bulk of the funds (1,176,523 dollars) entering in 2022, just as Kast took office.

Simultaneously, Hungarian press investigations and information published in Magyar Közlöny (Hungarian Official Bulletin, equivalent to the Official Diary in that country) indicate that Orbán’s government granted the organization a subsidy of 140,000 euros in 2021 to fund its IV Transatlantic Summit in 2022. Furthermore, when Kast was already leading the PNfV, the organization hosted the CPAC with funding from the Center for Fundamental Rights, a think tank tied to Orbán’s party.

In Chile, although law 18,603 prohibits foreign funding for political campaigns, the Kast Government has not clarified the use of resources during his presidency of the PNfV. In light of this, a group of lawmakers from the Frente Amplio requested a Special Investigative Commission (CEI) in Congress, seeking to clarify potential financial ties between the Kast administration and international organizations associated with the far-right former Hungarian Prime Minister.