How Public Contracts Fed the Mészáros Propaganda Machine

The mechanics of this funding were straightforward: the state awarded massive procurement contracts to V-Híd, a dominant player in Hungary’s railway sector. Once these public funds became corporate revenue, they were redistributed as "gifts" to Megafon. In 2024 alone, V-Híd funneled 3 billion forints—approximately €7.6 million—to the network of pro-government influencers. This arrangement allowed the Fidesz administration to offload the cost of its aggressive online messaging onto a private corporate entity.

Beyond propaganda, these revenues fueled a lavish corporate culture. Internal records highlight that V-Híd spent over 1 billion forints on luxury excursions, including private jet travel to France and exotic hunting trips in Tajikistan. One aircraft linked to the Mészáros family was used directly by Viktor Orbán. These revelations emerge alongside the ongoing criminal case against former culture minister Balázs Hankó, who faces charges of fiduciary breach. While Hankó claims his grant distributions were lawful, Orbán recently defended his former minister, asserting that Hankó was targeted specifically because he withheld state funding from "liberals in Budapest."