Hungary’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed Botond Feledy as head of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (MKI) with immediate effect, citing a loss of trust over his previous working relationship with the former government. The unexpected decision comes less than three months after his appointment, when he was tasked with rebuilding the institute’s professional reputation after years of political controversy.
The dismissal was announced on Monday evening by György Velkey, the ministry’s parliamentary state secretary. According to the statement, the ministry had only learned a few days earlier about Feledy’s professional relationship with the previous government, which had lasted for years and continued into the spring of 2026.
“Based on the information received by the ministry, we are terminating Botond Feledy’s managerial appointment with immediate effect due to a loss of trust,” Velkey said.
HUF 84 million in contracts with Lázár’s ministry
The controversy centres on contracts between Feledy’s company and the Ministry of Construction and Transport, led at the time by János Lázár. Documents obtained by Telex show that the ministry paid Feledy’s company a total of HUF 84.2 million (EUR 230,000) for foreign policy analyses over several years. According to the report, the working relationship continued until after the 2026 parliamentary election, with a further HUF 19 million paid after the vote.
Feledy responded to his dismissal in a Facebook post, explaining that his company had provided independent analytical work rather than traditional consultancy or political advice.
He said the ministry had approached his three-person company in 2023 because it wanted an independent perspective on international affairs. He argued that this allowed him to provide critical assessments of countries such as Russia and China, which government-aligned think tanks might have been reluctant to publish.
Feledy insisted that his clients had never influenced his professional opinions and said he intended to continue working towards political change in Hungary.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar commented on the post, saying that anyone accepting a senior government appointment should disclose potentially controversial previous contracts.
He specifically criticised Feledy for failing to mention that his company had received HUF 84 million in public money from the previous government, including HUF 19 million after the election.
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A key figure in the institute’s attempted renewal
Feledy was appointed director of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs in August, alongside Russia expert András Rácz, who became his deputy. The new leadership was expected to move the institution away from its previous political orientation, which had been associated with Balázs Orbán and the American MAGA movement.
Their priorities included developing a new Hungarian foreign policy strategy, strengthening the professional foundations of foreign policy decisions and rebuilding expertise on European Union affairs.
Feledy had spent around 20 years working in foreign policy as a journalist, analyst, media entrepreneur and university lecturer. He had previously lived in Brussels but moved back to Budapest with his family to take up the position.
At the time of his appointment, Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said the new leadership would promote thorough, independent and forward-looking research.
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Ministry refuses to provide further details
The Foreign Ministry has offered little additional explanation for the sudden dismissal. Responding to questions from Telex, it said senior appointments require proof of professional qualifications and language skills, as well as a criminal record certificate, a competency test and national security screening.
Velkey later told Telex that Feledy had been asked during the appointment process whether there was anything in his professional background that could make him vulnerable to criticism. According to the state secretary, the new institute chief did not disclose his previous contracts with Lázár’s ministry. Velkey also stressed that the Foreign Ministry had learned about the agreements from another government department, rather than from Telex’s reporting.
The ministry also confirmed that the institute is a separate legal entity owned by the Foreign Ministry, adding that similar employment suitability criteria apply there as within the ministry itself.
However, it declined to provide further details about Feledy’s dismissal or his successor. It also did not clarify whether his deputy, András Rácz, could temporarily or permanently take over the leadership.
