“They were not working for the people, but for their own well-being” – Former aide accuses Hungarian President of self-interest

Hungary’s President, Tamás Sulyok, is facing unusually sharp public criticism from within his former inner circle after his dismissed communications director accused the presidential office of serving its own comfort rather than the public interest.

Georgina Szántó, who served as Sulyok’s communications director until September, broke her silence in a Facebook comment published shortly after the president’s Christmas address. In the post, she claimed that her former boss had “practically destroyed” her and described a working environment where goodwill and constructive criticism were not only unwelcome but actively punished.

“The good word became the enemy, the desire to act became a crime, and well-intentioned criticism became something to be hunted down,” Szántó wrote, adding: “From here, it’s beautiful to stand back up.”

The post quickly attracted attention in Hungarian media, prompting news outlet 444.hu to contact Szántó for clarification. She said she had not expected any particular reaction but felt unable to remain silent any longer after months of personal distress.

Allegations of excessive spending

In her remarks to 444.hu, Szántó elaborated on what she described as “unrestrained spending” within the presidential office. According to her, this primarily involved the size and composition of delegations accompanying the president on foreign trips, something she said she repeatedly tried to curb during her tenure.

She also criticised what she called the “so-called goodwill activities” of the president’s wife, which, she claimed, were often accompanied by large entourages and significant publicity.

“Put simply, I kept saying that it looks distasteful to arrive at various locations with a large entourage in the hope that everyone will bow and scrape, a handshake will be photographed, and at least they try to look as though they want to do good for people,” she said.

Szántó added that when she raised concerns about such expenses, she was allegedly told: “Why does it bother you if we feel good?”

“Not there to be applauded”

According to the former communications chief, the fundamental disagreement between her and the leadership of the Sándor Palace, the presidential residence, was about the purpose of public office.

“In my view, we are not there so that everyone applauds us, but so that we do good — especially considering how well we are paid for it,” she said. “This is a basic human, and frankly moral, duty.”

She claimed that any attempt to promote this approach was met with hostility, adding that, in her personal experience, good intentions were treated as something to be suppressed.

“They did not think they were working for the people. They thought they were working for their own well-being,” Szántó said, describing this as the root cause of all disagreements during her time in office.

Dismissal following controversy

Szántó was dismissed from her position in September, two weeks after controversy erupted over a Facebook post by President Sulyok regarding a missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Mukachevo. In the original post, a reference to Russia was removed, sparking criticism in the media.

At the time, the connection between the edited post and Szántó’s dismissal was unclear. However, she now claims she was fired because she failed to personally call the president at the start of what she described as a “media onslaught” following the incident.

She also said one of the official reasons given for her dismissal was that she was considered “not fitting into the administration”.

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A controversial public figure

Szántó had previously worked with Sulyok at Hungary’s Constitutional Court, both when he was a member and later its president. Earlier this year, she also attracted media attention for a heated Facebook post targeting news outlet Telex, which she labelled “Telex junk”, accompanied by an image of an insect. She accused the publication of spreading falsehoods.

In her latest comments, Szántó acknowledged that speaking out could have consequences but said the emotional burden had become unbearable.

“Many lies and all sorts of invented stories may come. I don’t care,” she wrote. “This weighed so heavily on my soul that carrying it any longer would have crushed me.”

She also hinted that she may soon publish her recollections of the past year and a half, during which she said she tried to protect the president’s image and present his more favourable side. However, she said she has not yet decided in what form those memories might appear.