New Hungarian PM Opens Orban’s Office to the Public

More stunning than Orban’s cloister-like residence were the other two buildings shown to the media by Hungary’s new prime minister, who relished both the chance to highlight the lavish spending of the previous government and his role in revealing it to the public.

“This is the world of the Hungarian Ceaușescus,” Magyar posted on Facebook, referring to the family of Nicolae Ceaușescu, the communist ruler who governed Romania from the 1960s until his regime was overthrown in 1989.

Opposite Orban’s cloister, a newly built structure housed the propaganda ministry led by the former prime minister’s powerful spin doctor, Antal Rogan – the spiritual father of the Fidesz party’s hate-mongering and anti-Ukrainian billboards that featured prominently in election campaigns.

The interior resembled a five-star hotel, complete with cigar room, glass atrium, chandeliers, gold-plated details and state-of-the-art technology. Although it was built with undeniable quality – something that could not always be said about earlier Fidesz-era construction – it was erected during the Covid years, when many Hungarians went bankrupt during the lockdowns.

The building is emblematic of how the Orban government grew estranged from the everyday reality and problems of the population – a disconnect that ultimately led to the collapse of support for the Fidesz party at the April 12 election.

As a symbolic gesture – something the new government doesn’t seem to be lacking in – the building will be taken over by the Ministry of Social and Family Affairs, which will be led by Vilmos Katai-Nemeth, a visually impaired lawyer and Aikido master.