Árpád Habony never held a formal position in Viktor Orbán’s governments, but he was widely regarded as the chief architect of the prime minister’s communications machine and one of the key figures behind the Orbán era’s propaganda network. He was also credited with importing the political tactics of character assassination into Hungarian politics and with helping to orchestrate media attacks on Orbán’s opponents.
Árpád Habony was once one of Hungary’s most influential men
According to the Hungarian media, Habony was Viktor Orbán’s most influential political adviser and spin doctor. Yet no direct link between the two was ever officially established, apart from the fact that Habony had a permanent pass to the Hungarian Parliament at the request of the Prime Minister’s Office. Beyond that, he was able to remain largely invisible to Hungarian voters.
It is widely believed that Habony was behind the Orbán governments’ so-called national consultations. He adapted the campaign techniques of Arthur J. Finkelstein, based on the constant creation of enemies — migration, the Soros plan and Brussels — and on extremely simplified messaging. He also helped to build a Fidesz-aligned media empire and launched political tabloid outlets, including 888.hu and Ripost. He was further linked to the London-based news agency V4NA, described as a branch of Orbán-friendly propaganda media. Fidesz’s official website once referred to him as the prime minister’s adviser.
No longer a Budapest resident?
That is why a Hungarian court ruled that he should be regarded as a public figure. As such, the Hungarian press has the right to investigate the source of his wealth and his lavish lifestyle. At an Italian sailing competition, for example, he was seen wearing an exceptionally rare Richard Mille watch reportedly worth HUF 160 million.After Viktor Orbán’s defeat on 12 April, and with Péter Magyar’s Tisza movement gaining a supermajority capable of rewriting even the constitution, Habony’s position has come under renewed scrutiny.
According to 24.hu, he no longer lists a Hungarian address in company records. The change was registered on 30 July. He now gives an address in northern Italy, having previously used a central Budapest address in Aranykéz Street. Not long ago, he also withdrew HUF 8.8 billion from Enter-TNMNT, one of his companies, in dividends.Habony owns a 33 per cent stake in LVC Diamond alongside the Fidesz-linked businessman István Garancsi. The company runs five Budapest casinos and the vegas.hu online platform, generating billions of forints in annual profit.
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Luxury villa, murky ownership
According to Átlátszó, the Italian address refers to a several-hundred-square-metre villa in one of Varese’s most exclusive districts, about 50 kilometres from Milan. The property was bought for €4.3 million by Influentia Ltd, owned by a private equity fund called Progressus. Hungarian media reported that the fund can be linked to Árpád Habony and former defence minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.
Átlátszó said there are two villas at the address: one measuring 253 sq m and the other 101 sq m. In May 2021, the properties were joined and the interior was altered. The registered owners are Stefano Castelnovo and Ugo Castelnovo, local estate agents. Átlátszó said it sent questions to Habony’s legal representative, Influentia Ltd and the two estate agents, but had not yet received a reply.
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