The Orbán government’s Bethlen Gábor Fund (BGA) distributed HUF 255.9 million (approximately EUR 705,000) in discretionary grants to Hungarian diaspora organisations outside Europe between July 2025 and the end of April 2026, according to documents obtained through a freedom of information request.
The documents, first reported by Hungarian news outlet 444, show that the Orbán government’s funding reached organisations in the United States, Canada, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Japan, supporting both cultural programmes and day-to-day operating costs. Unlike standard grant schemes, the funding was awarded through individual applications rather than open public calls.
Two organisations received around two-thirds of the Orbán government’s funding
According to the documents, 19 individual funding decisions were made by the Orbán government during the ten-month period, with roughly two-thirds of the total allocated to just two organisations. The Hungarian Scout Association in Exteris, based in Morris Plains, New Jersey, received HUF 119 million (EUR 328,000) to operate the Hungarian House and support its Diaspora School Camp programme.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation in New York was awarded HUF 70 million (EUR 193,000) for its Reconnect Hungary initiative, which brings young people of Hungarian descent born in the United States to Hungary to strengthen their ties with the country.
The Orbán government’s funding covered a wide range of expenses, including staff salaries, project management, flights to Hungary, accommodation, meals, admission fees and the operating costs of the organisation’s New York office. According to the report, HUF 35 million (EUR 96,500) of this funding was approved on 9 and 10 April, just days before Hungary’s parliamentary election.
Funding also supported church, cultural and heritage projects
Other grants included HUF 14 million (EUR 38,500) for the Independent Hungarian Reformed Church of Ontario in Canada, HUF 13 million (EUR 35,800) for the Duna Hungarian Arts and Folklore Association in Chile, HUF 10 million for the Pannonia Hungarian Bookstore in Ontario.
One of the more unusual projects was supported in Uruguay, where the Federation of Hungarian Organisations in Latin America received HUF 11.4 million (EUR 31,400) for operational costs and development projects, including the creation of a Hungarian diaspora museum and the renovation of the Hungarian Pantheon, a Hungarian mausoleum located in the Tucumán Cemetery.
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Discretionary funding process has drawn criticism
According to the documents, organisations seeking support were required to submit detailed applications explaining their projects, budgets and how the proposed activities would serve the interests of Hungarian communities abroad. Following a professional assessment by the Bethlen Gábor Fund, the final decisions were made by the Prime Minister’s Office, under the supervision of the State Secretary responsible for national policy.
While discretionary grants are a recognised form of public funding in Hungary, the system has faced criticism from transparency advocates because awards are made without open competition and can involve substantial public funds. The latest disclosures follow earlier reports that the Bethlen Gábor Fund allocated HUF billions to Hungarian football academies and organisations outside Hungary during the same period.
