Following the landslide defeat of Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party in the recent election, associates of the outgoing prime minister are scrambling to move their wealth abroad, sources have told the Guardian. Private jets laden with assets have been taking off from Vienna, while others are investing in foreign real estate or seeking US visas to work at Maga-linked institutions.
Since Orbán took power in 2010, a small circle of allies has amassed vast fortunes through control over the economy and EU-funded contracts. The Guardian has learned of three such figures moving assets to Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Australia, and Singapore.
Incoming Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose Tisza party won a landslide victory, has accused Fidesz-linked oligarchs of transferring tens of billions of forints to the UAE, US, Uruguay, and other countries. He called on authorities to detain criminals and prevent them from fleeing to jurisdictions where extradition would be unlikely.
Magyar alleged that the family of Lőrinc Mészáros, Orbán's close friend and Hungary's richest man, is among those planning to leave. He also reported that several oligarch families have already withdrawn their children from school and arranged security for their departure.
Independent outlets like Vsquare and 444.hu have reported on the asset transfers, noting that efforts to recover stolen wealth could take years. Magyar has vowed to crack down on corruption, accusing the outgoing government of destroying incriminating documents. The foreign ministry denied the allegations, calling them 'nonsense'.
