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The fallout from the defeat: Orban's oligarchs are rushing to flee Hungary with their wealth

2026-04-30 17:24:09Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The fallout from the defeat: Orban's oligarchs are rushing to flee Hungary

Along the banks of the Danube, the news that Viktor Orban's era was over sparked a celebration that lasted for hours. Joy spread across Hungary, as people hugged each other and celebrated. For some, however, the crushing election defeat provoked a hasty move.

Private jets, suspected of carrying the wealth of those who became rich during Orban’s 16 years in power, have begun taking off from Vienna, while other individuals are rushing to invest their assets abroad, sources have told The Guardian. Meanwhile, senior figures close to Orban are considering visas to the US, hoping to find work at MAGA-linked institutions.

It is a snapshot of the turmoil sweeping Hungary as the country prepares to close the chapter of Orban’s rule. Since he came to power in 2010, a close circle of associates linked to him and his Fidesz party have amassed vast fortunes, thanks in part to expanded control over the economy and EU-funded public contracts.

Since the election, The Guardian has learned that three members of this inner circle have begun moving their assets abroad. Assets are being transferred to Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, while others are targeting Australia and Singapore, according to two sources close to Fidesz.

Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party that won by a landslide this month, has raised the alarm, accusing Fidesz allies of rushing to shield their assets from liability before his government takes office in early May.

“Oligarchs linked to Orban are transferring tens of billions of forints to the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Uruguay and other far-flung countries,” Magyar declared on social media on Saturday. He called on the prosecutor general, the police chief and the head of the tax administration to “stop the criminals” and “not allow them to escape” to countries where extradition would be impossible.

Magyar said that among those expected to leave the country is the family of Lőrinc Mészaros, one of Orban’s closest friends, who rose from a pipe fitter to the richest man in Hungary, partly thanks to public contracts. Mészaros’ company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“I have also been informed that some oligarch families have already left the country,” Magyar added. “According to reports, some influential families have withdrawn their children from schools and are organizing safe departures from the country.”

The race to move assets abroad was first reported by independent journalists in Hungary, including investigative media outlet Vsquare, which said key figures close to Orban were trying to secure assets before the Hungarian government could freeze, seize or nationalize them. Meanwhile, the 444.hu portal reported in March that key figures had already begun moving assets to Dubai.

However, these efforts could be thwarted by bureaucrats and law enforcement officials who are aware of the actions during Orban's years in power, "setting the stage for efforts that could last for years to recover suspected stolen public assets and arrest those responsible for financial crimes," according to Vsquare.

Since the election, Magyar has repeatedly stated that his government will crack down on the corruption and clientelism that, according to him, characterized Fidesz's years in power.

“Our country has no time to waste. Hungary is in trouble on every front. It has been plundered, robbed, betrayed, drowned in debt and destroyed,” he said the day after the election. “We have become the poorest and most corrupt country in the EU.”

The future leader has also accused that compromising documents are being destroyed during Orban's final weeks in power.

"We are receiving more and more reports of large-scale destruction of documents from various ministries, affiliated institutions and companies close to Fidesz," he wrote on social media.

Former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjartó, named among the institutions accused of document destruction, called the accusations “untrue” and “unacceptable.” The ministry stated that it had “only discarded physical copies of documents that were stored in electronic form.”

The Foreign Ministry and the office of Orban, who has consistently denied corruption allegations, did not respond to The Guardian's requests for comment.

The election result has also raised questions about the future of Orban, the strongman leader who had defined Hungary as a "laboratory for illiberalism," inspiring the Donald Trump administration and the global far right.

The Guardian


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