Hungary implements government restructuring and new consumer regulations

The Hungarian government has implemented significant administrative and regulatory changes effective September 1. A major restructuring of ministerial duties has clarified the responsibilities of various departments. The Ministry of the Prime Minister has taken on increased roles in public administration quality, personnel policy, and government coordination. Additionally, the Ministry of Science and Technology will now oversee responsibilities related to cybersecurity, national data management, and artificial intelligence.

In the security sector, the National Information Center and the Defense Administration Office will now be managed by the Minister leading the Prime Minister's Office. Other intelligence services remain distributed among the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Defense. To ensure intergovernmental coordination, the Prime Minister's national security advisor will continue to oversee security and defense activities and maintain contact with NATO Resilience Committee bodies.

On the consumer side, new ‘Right to Repair’ regulations have entered into force. These rules aim to make repairing household appliances and electronics more accessible and attractive than replacement. Manufacturers are now obligated to provide repairs for certain products, such as washing machines, refrigerators, and smartphones, even if the fault does not constitute a defective performance. Furthermore, if a product is repaired due to a warranty issue, the warranty period is extended by an additional 12 months.

In the fuel market, the Holtankoljak.hu portal has updated its information system. Due to the divergence between wholesale and retail fuel prices, the platform will no longer publish wholesale price decisions, focusing instead on daily national retail averages and price spreads between the cheapest and most expensive stations.