EUalive receives SLAPP demand of 5 million forints in damages on behalf of a Viktor Orbán official

This article was updated with a statement by Mr Ferenc Pál Biró lawyer published below.

Less than a week after EUalive published an article based on investigative reporting by its partner, the Hungarian outlet Átlátszó, the president of Hungary’s Integrity Authority has issued a formal legal demand threatening the outlet with financial ruin.

In a letter dated 5 May, Dr. Balázs Lohn of Lohn Law Firm, acting on behalf of Ferenc Pál Biró, demands the immediate removal of the section concerning Biró from the article “Luxury cars, yachts, private jets: 16 iconic cases of opulence in Orbán’s Hungary over 16 years” (published 29 April 2026). The letter also requires publication of a detailed retraction at the very top of the article and payment of HUF 5,000,000 (approximately €13,800–14,000) in non-pecuniary damages within ten days.

Luxury cars, yachts, private jets: 16 iconic cases of opulence in Orbán’s Hungary over 16 years

The amount demanded exceeds EUalive’s typical monthly operational budget and, if enforced, could force the small independent Brussels-based outlet, acting as English-language aggregator for media across Europe, into bankruptcy.

The demand in detail

The letter accuses EUalive of creating a “false and defamatory overall impression” by including Biró’s property in a list of 16 cases of alleged opulence linked to Viktor Orbán’s circle (the so-called NER). It takes particular issue with the subtitle “Integrity authority head Ferenc Biró’s hacienda” and the contextual framing of the piece.

Key excerpts from the letter:

“The use of the term ‘hacienda’, the inclusion among NER luxury cases, the introduction referring to public funds flowing into lavish properties, together create a false and defamatory overall impression as if my client were a participant in a luxury case connected to the NER and to public funds.”

The lawyer further states that Biró’s 2-hectare residential estate in Solymár “was built neither from the funds of the Integrity Authority nor from any other public funds” and “had already been in my client’s ownership, possession and use well before he assumed the position of President of the Integrity Authority, as it was built in 2016–2017.”

The letter demands that the following retraction appear prominently at the beginning of the article:

“In our article … we presented Mr. Ferenc Biró and his residential property under the heading ‘Integrity authority head Ferenc Biró’s hacienda’ within a compilation described as cases of opulence among the inner circle of Viktor Orbán …

This presentation created the false and misleading impression that Mr. Ferenc Biró belongs to the inner circle of Viktor Orbán, the NER or the allied business elite; and that his residential property … was financed from public funds …

We apologise to Mr. Ferenc Biró for the misleading presentation and for the harm caused to his reputation and personality rights.”

Background and context

Ferenc Biró has headed the Integrity Authority – the body established to oversee the proper use of EU funds in Hungary – since its creation. His property first came under scrutiny in January 2025 when Átlátszó revealed that he had omitted a 2-hectare estate from his asset declaration. At the time, Biró faced criminal investigation for alleged misappropriation of public funds and abuse of office, including claims that Authority resources were used for private purposes.

The original EUalive article, which drew directly from Átlátszó’s long-term investigation, placed Biró’s case in the broader context of 16 years of Fidesz governance and documented instances of luxury assets linked to politically connected individuals.

Biró’s legal team argues that previous final court judgments have already refuted claims of public funding for his property and that EUalive’s reporting revives a “false narrative”.

A classic SLAPP?

This is the latest example of what press freedom organisations describe as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in Hungary. Independent media outlets have repeatedly faced costly defamation or personality-rights claims from government-aligned figures, often with the effect of draining limited resources and creating a chilling effect on investigative journalism.

EUalive stands by its reporting, which was based on publicly available information and the work of a respected Hungarian investigative partner. The outlet has offered Biró a right of reply on multiple occasions and remains open to publishing any factual correction supported by evidence.

As a small independent media project operating without state or oligarch funding, EUalive cannot absorb demands of this magnitude without existential risk. We will defend ourselves vigorously and continue to report on matters of public interest in Hungary and the wider region.

The letter, signed by Dr. Balázs Lohn and accompanied by a power of attorney from Ferenc Pál Biró, is available in full on request for verified media organisations.

The EU Anti-SLAPP Directive (Directive (EU) 2024/1069, also known as “Daphne’s Law”) entered into force on 6 May 2024.It was published in the Official Journal on 16 April 2024.

It entered into force on the 20th day after publication (standard for most EU directives).

Member states must transpose it into national law by tomorrow – 7 May 2026 (with the rules applying to cross-border SLAPP cases once transposed).

EUalive’s bank account is published on the website’s homepage. Donations are welcome to meet litigation expenses.

Following the publication of this article, EUalive has received a letter from Mr Ferenc Pál Biró lawyer sting:

“Mr Ferenc Pál Biró has asked EUalive to clarify that he is not a ‘Viktor Orbán official’, does not belong to Viktor Orbán’s inner circle, to the NER or to any allied business elite, and that his home was not acquired, built, reconstructed, renovated or developed from public funds, EU funds, through state contracts, or from funds of the Hungarian Integrity Authority.

Mr Biró states that his request for correction was not intended to restrict press freedom or public debate, but to correct what he considers a misleading presentation of him and his home as part of a NER-related luxury and public-funds narrative.

Mr Biró fully recognises the role of investigative journalism and public scrutiny in matters involving public funds, including scrutiny of the Integrity Authority and of his own public office.”

Caption: AI-generated illustrative image