The Péter Magyar-government at its Monday meeting discussed reforms to the enforcement, liquidation, and notary systems, the future of Dunaferr, asbestos pollution in western Hungary, and a full review of public service media operations, government spokespeople announced at a press conference after the cabinet meeting.
Dunaferr and eviction
Áva Magyar, a government spokesperson, said the cabinet had discussed the Dunaferr case as an urgent matter, noting that the steel plant’s closure directly affected the local economy and the livelihoods of hundreds of families. The current operating contract, which secures 1 billion forints monthly until the end of May, should be extended in the short term to prevent 550 families from losing their livelihoods, she said, adding that the government’s goal is to find a sustainable, long-term solution.
Vanda Szondi, another government spokesperson, said tens of thousands of families in Hungary are currently under threat of eviction, so the justice ministry will prepare, by mid-June, a legislative amendment to reform the enforcement system, replacing the current profit-oriented model with a non-profit system under strict state control. The aim is to create a system where enforcement operates as a public service, she said. The government supports any parliamentary initiative to set up an investigative committee to examine the system’s operations and past abuses, she added.
The government will propose to the Tisza Party’s parliamentary group that the enforcement law be amended to suspend evictions until the new law enters into force.
Liquidation, notary system
The cabinet also decided to restore substantive judicial oversight of liquidation procedures. The government’s position is that over the past decade and a half, the Hungarian liquidation system has become one of the darkest and most opaque mechanisms for NER-linked enrichment, she said, referring to the previous government’s System of National Cooperation. A narrow network has consistently emerged as the new owners at the end of liquidations, she noted.
The goal is to return liquidations to the framework of judicial control, transparency, and legal certainty, creating a system where the fate of Hungarian companies is decided through transparent, auditable procedures under genuine judicial supervision, she said.
The justice ministry will also prepare legislative amendments to transform the notary system, she announced. The government’s position is that the current notary system has become an overly closed, overpriced, and monopolistic structure with limited competition, guaranteed fee incomes, and too many public authority tasks removed from actual courts. For many citizens, notary services represent a disproportionate burden, she said. The government has therefore asked the justice minister to transfer some tasks to government offices and others to the courts.
Asbestos pollution – an issue Péter Magyar will raise during his Austria visit
Anita Köböl, a government spokesperson, announced that the cabinet had decided to begin national management of asbestos pollution in western Hungary and would immediately examine suspending the import and distribution of rock materials from Austria. The goal is to immediately protect residents of affected settlements, identify contaminated areas, and clarify responsibilities, she said.
According to current information, asbestos-contaminated crushed rocks from Austrian mines may have appeared at hundreds of sites in at least three counties, she noted. Immediate risk reduction measures are needed in the affected areas, she added. In addition to examining the suspension of asbestos imports, an inter-ministerial asbestos task force will be set up to identify affected areas, create a national register, coordinate necessary health and environmental measures, and manage remediation.
The entire distribution and liability chain will be investigated, she said, stressing that the government aims to hold those responsible for the damage accountable. She added that Prime Minister Péter Magyar is expected to raise the need for coordination with the Austrian side during his visit to Austria.
Falsified budget data
Éva Magyar said the outgoing government had falsified this year’s budget. David Vitezy, minister of transport and investment, reported to the cabinet that his ministry’s economic department had identified several items missing from this year’s budget, such as the second-half payment for the motorway concession, she said. An 87.2 billion forint item for the Budapest-Belgrade railway line was also omitted to make the budget deficit appear smaller before the elections, she added. She noted that a 22.3 billion forint expenditure for the railway connection to the Ivancha battery factory was also missing.
These items amount to a total of 286 billion forints at the former construction and transport ministry, she said. The Orban government made the political decision not to include these amounts in the budget for balance adjustment purposes, she added, noting that in 2006, the Gyurcsany government had acted similarly, using “hundreds of tricks” to prevent the budget from showing the real figures.
The prime minister has asked Finance Minister András Kármán to prepare a report on the “true state” of the 2026 budget and determine where amendments may be necessary, Köböl said. The government wants a budget that is based on “real numbers” and can ensure a sustainable fiscal path and financial stability, she said. The cabinet takes the position that responsible economic policy is possible only based on an accurate evaluation of the situation and transparent budget data, she added.
The cabinet agreed that the use of sirens and flashing lights on government vehicles should be allowed only for the prime minister and the interior minister when on official business, “not as a status symbol as during the Orbán government”, Köböl said.
Mega contract with Noel laureate Krausz terminated
Also, she said the prime minister has instructed Zoltan Tanacs, the science and technology minister, to undertake a probe of a research and talent fostering foundation headed by Nobel Prize-winner Ferenc Krausz by the end of May and prepare to cancel 261.7 billion forints (EUR 723.1m) in financing contracts it has with the state. The government expects close to 20 billion forints already transferred to the foundation to be repaid, she added.
Government spokesperson Vanda Szondi said a full review of the operations of MTVA and public service media will begin.
Public media scrutiny begins
She said the constitutional and democratic role of public media should have been to provide every Hungarian citizen with reliable, balanced, and comprehensive information, but it had been evident to all that MTVA-affiliated media had failed to meet these criteria in recent years.
The government’s position, she said, is that public media cannot serve a single party, a single political side, or a single centre of power. As MTVA is funded by Hungarian taxpayers, it must be accountable to them, she added.
Szondi noted that the public media’s annual budget had multiplied since 2010, reaching 165.6 billion forints in 2025, “while it fulfilled virtually no public service function”. The government will therefore review MTVA’s financial management, contract portfolio, leadership decisions, procurement, news editing practices and institutional relations with Duna Media Service Provider and the NMHH media authority.
The goal, she concluded, is to create a public service media that genuinely fulfils public service tasks: one that investigates, educates, and provides balanced information for every Hungarian.
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Paks NPP upgrade to be revised
Köböl said Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy has been tasked with a full review of state-owned properties, including long-term leases, prestige projects, and purchases linked to István Tiborcz. “State assets must serve public interest, not political patronage or hidden wealth transfers,” Köböl said.
She also said Economy and Energy Minister István Kapitány will assess delays in extending the Paks nuclear power plant’s lifespan and propose accelerating the process. He will also evaluate the stalled Paks 2 project, including contracts, spent funds and its future viability, she added.
Éva Magyar said the government has decided to launch an investigation into the procedures governing the use of Hungarian Air Force assets for government and diplomatic tasks, as military aircraft “cannot serve as a plaything for the political elite” and must not be used for luxury travel.
She stressed that as these assets are financed with public funds, every aspect of their operation must be justified, auditable, and publicly accountable. The investigation will examine whether procurement, operation, and use have served the public interest, defence necessity, and cost efficiency, she said.
Consultations and diplomatic passports
She also announced that the government will launch broad consultations with local governments on their financial and budgetary situations, examining all substantive professional proposals. She noted that the review must not lead to the neglect of existing payment obligations.
She added that the cabinet has decided to disclose documents on health-care austerity measures commissioned during the Orban government but kept secret so far, as these must not be hidden from the public.
The government will also conduct a full review of investments halted by the former construction ministry during the last parliamentary cycle, as people and municipalities have a right to know “who and why became victims of János Lázár’s actions”, and how much EU funding the budget and the country had lost as a result.
Szondi announced that the government will review the regulation and recent issuance practices of diplomatic passports. She said there are currently over 1,000 such documents in circulation without justification.
The goal is to clarify whether the issuance of diplomatic passports in every case served their original diplomatic purpose and the public interest, she said, citing the need to enforce transparency and task-specific criteria.
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