Hungary National Cultural Fund funding controversy

The National Cultural Fund (NKA) in Hungary is facing scrutiny regarding its funding processes and the legality of its allocations.

Former Minister of Culture and Innovation Balázs Hankó defended the NKA, stating that the distribution of 17.6 billion forints—sourced from lottery revenues—was lawful, transparent, and complied with all regulations. Hankó noted that approximately 800 programs were supported through verified application processes.

Actor and activist Áron Molnár has expanded his allegations through a series of videos, detailing specific financial irregularities involving pro-government commentator Zsolt Bayer. Molnár claims that Bayer’s former company, 1100 Év Kft., received a 3 million HUF grant in 2014 for a publication project regarding Poland. According to Molnár, the project was never completed; although the NKA terminated the contract in 2015, the funds were not fully settled until Bayer repaid them in 2020. Molnár also alleges Bayer received a second 3 million HUF grant in 2020 via a “non-publicly advertised application” for an essay collection.

Responding via Magyar Nemzet, Bayer acknowledged the 2014 grant but attributed the project’s failure to translation issues, noting he voluntarily repaid the full amount in 2020. Regarding the 2020 grant, Bayer maintained that the writings were completed, countering Molnár’s claims that the content deviated from the original proposal.