Hungary's Culture Minister Tarr Zoltán revokes 250 million ft in grants over false data

Culture Minister Tarr Zoltán announced that two National Cultural Fund (NKA) grants linked to Pataky Attila’s productions have been withdrawn, covering a total of 250 million forints (100 million for the Edda Musical – A Kör tour and 150 million for the Edda Művek – Aréna 2026 concert). The revocation follows investigations that uncovered false data in the applications, including failure to disclose a prior 10 million‑forint subsidy and omission of expected ticket‑revenue figures. The minister stated on Facebook, “Jóváhagytam két olyan cég támogatásainak a visszavonását,” and ordered the companies to repay the funds. The action is part of a broader review of NKA allocations after earlier controversies surrounding large cultural subsidies, such as the 650‑million‑forint support for Orbán János Dénes’s operetta. Tarr emphasized that “a független és átlátható kulturális rendszer” requires strict scrutiny of every public cultural expenditure, and the audit will continue.

The scandal highlights concerns over the transparency of state‑funded cultural projects in Hungary and has triggered political debate about the oversight of the NKA’s temporary college and its grant‑making procedures.