Two former ministers from Viktor Orbán’s government in Hungary have been arrested on suspicion of corruption, in a development that for the first time affects senior figures from the camp that led the country for more than 16 years. According to the authorities, the case concerns the misuse of public funds and suspected gains from state procurement.
Arrests after immunity was lifted in parliament
Balázs Hankó, former culture minister and a Fidesz lawmaker, was arrested late on Monday, just hours after parliament voted to lift his immunity.
In a separate procedure, Miklós Seszták, former minister for national development and an MP from the allied KDNP party, was also arrested. Both have denied the allegations.
Suspicions over public funds and their political use
According to prosecutors, Hankó is suspected of overseeing the misuse of around 17.3 billion forints, approximately 47 million euros, from Hungary’s National Cultural Fund.
The investigation alleges that these funds were channelled to artists and organisations linked to Fidesz, and were also used to finance the 2026 election campaign. Hankó has rejected the accusations and described the case as a political attack.
Raid on Fidesz offices and political clash
In July, police raided Fidesz offices and seized the party’s servers as part of the same investigation into the suspected use of public funds.
Orbán had at the time attacked the intervention by the authorities, accusing the new government of trying to politically damage his party. This remains the political line of the former prime minister’s camp, while the investigations are still ongoing.
Another investigation into bribery and buses bought with public money
In the case involving Seszták, prosecutors suspect that he received more than 12 billion forints, around 32.6 million euros, in bribes and payments linked to public procurement.
According to the investigation, part of the case is linked to the purchase of used buses for the state bus company, where authorities suspect that prices may have been illegally inflated. Other public construction projects are also under review.
The arrests mark a sharp turning point in the relationship between the justice system and Hungary’s old governing elite, in a country where accusations of institutional capture and the political use of public money have circulated for years.
At this stage, the accusations remain the claims of investigators, and it remains to be tested whether the cases will produce sustainable evidence in court or remain part of the fierce political confrontation in Budapest.