Hungary’s Prime Minister’s Office says it does not hold an official record of former prime minister Viktor Orbán’s official programmes or engagements during his final term in office between 2022 and 2026.
The revelation came in response to a freedom of information request submitted by investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi of VSquare, who sought details of Orbán’s official meetings, trips and daily schedule while serving as prime minister. According to the response, the Prime Minister’s Office has no recorded register containing such information.
Only holiday records available
The only information the office said it could provide was that Orbán had used the annual leave to which he was entitled before leaving office. However, the records did not specify when he took those holidays or where he was during those periods. Panyi had hoped to clarify details surrounding several previously undisclosed official trips, including a 2022 visit to Riyadh, which was reported only after it had taken place and has remained the subject of public interest.
Read about the secret visit here: PM Viktor Orbán’s secret trip to Saudi Arabia: A new power play in the Middle East?
Similar response regarding Rogán Antal
A separate information request concerning former Cabinet Office Minister Antal Rogán produced a similar response. While authorities said they did not maintain records of Rogán’s official programmes, they did confirm that the dates of his annual leave had been documented.
Questions over missing records
In comments accompanying the findings, Panyi said the absence of official records raises two possible explanations.
According to the journalist, either no official log of the country’s senior political leaders’ activities was ever maintained, or such records were removed or destroyed before the change of government.
The issue has attracted additional attention following reports after April’s election that documents were allegedly being destroyed in government buildings before the transfer of power. The previous government denied those allegations. The Prime Minister’s Office’s response does not state why no official register exists, nor does it indicate whether any records may be held elsewhere.
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