Do you want to get Hungarian castles for free? New bill makes that possible

A new bill allows construction and transport minister János Lázár to distribute the state’s castles. Lázár’s ministry may give the ownership or asset management rights of the monuments concerned to natural and legal persons, including even private individuals for free.

Furthermore, some of the castles Lázár’s ministry would like to “privatise” have been recently renewed. Válasz Online mentioned the castles of Edelény, Pécel and Iszkaszentgyörgy in their article. Lázár defended his idea by saying the Hungarian state is not a good owner. Only private or church owners can take care of those assets, he added.

The bill appeared on the ministry’s website, and the report stage ended on 2 June. If the parliament accepts it (and Lázár’s Fidesz had a supermajority in the Hungarian legislation), it will become law by 1 July. As a result, all state-owned castles can be privatised this summer.

Natural or legal persons (for example, private individuals, companies or churches) will be allowed to submit a plea to the minister for the castles’ ownership or asset management rights. In practice, everybody can get a castle who can maintain it. However, they cannot sell it for at least 99 years. If the asset management right owner breaks the contract, dies without an heir or ceases operation without a successor, the state gets back the castles.