[CLSTR]
< Back to situation

[REVISION HISTORY]

Hungary National Cultural Fund funding controversy

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-19 20:53 UTC → 2026-09-20 11:09 UTC · added removed

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. However, actor Actor and activist Áron Molnár has raised new allegations, claiming that publicist expanded his allegations through a series of videos, detailing specific financial irregularities involving pro-government commentator Zsolt Bayer Bayer. Molnár claims that Bayer’s former company, 1100 Év Kft., received a 3 million HUF through grant in 2014 for a “non-competitive, unique 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 process” in 2020 via a “non-publicly advertised application” for an essay collection. Molnár, citing evidence obtained Responding via a public interest data request, has linked these specific allocations Magyar Nemzet, Bayer acknowledged the 2014 grant but attributed the project’s failure to broader concerns regarding translation issues, noting he voluntarily repaid the use of public funds by pro-government entities. 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.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-20 11:09 UTC Hungary National Cultural Fund funding controversy
  2. 2026-09-19 20:53 UTC Hungary National Cultural Fund funding controversy

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.