Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party announced on Thursday that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had appointed Attila Várhegyi as its new communications director, with Bertalan Havasi remaining as the party’s press chief. The move was framed by Fidesz as a team strengthening effort, with a social media post declaring, “The team is getting stronger!”
Várhegyi, a long-time Orbán ally, previously served as Fidesz’s party manager and mayor of Szolnok. He was later convicted of breach of trust. His name resurfaced during a recent audit of Hungary’s public media, where internal documents revealed he had effectively controlled the Duna Médiaszolgáltató Nonprofit Zrt. despite holding only an advisory role without legal authorization. According to the findings, Várhegyi made decisions on content, personnel, and financial matters, with official leaders often unable to act without his approval .
Internal correspondence showed Várhegyi acted as a liaison between the government and public media, shaping editorial directions, such as instructing that election campaign coverage prioritize “Ukraine and war in any quantity.” From 2019, he was paid a monthly fee that rose to a net 3.5 million forints (about €9,000) by 2023, alongside benefits including a 21 million forint (€54,000) service car and a chauffeur, the latter formally employed as an event organizer .
The public media’s new leadership filed a criminal complaint over its past operations based on the audit’s findings .
