EditViktor Orbán’s foreign networkers continue receiving millions even after government change
The core message promoted through funded activities is that Orbán’s government leads a rising international right-wing movement
Even after the change of government in Hungary, foreign experts and commentators aligned with Viktor Orbán’s system are set to keep receiving substantial monthly payments funded by Hungarian public money. Investigative reporting by EUalive’s partner Átlátszó reveals how the Batthyány Lajos Foundation (BLA) and its Danube Institute (DI) have functioned as key vehicles for exporting “Orbánism” and building international right-wing networks, with spending surging ahead of elections.
Billions in public funds for domestic and international influence
In 2024, the foundation – operating as a public-interest asset manager since 2021 – paid out over 150 million forints (approximately €380,000) to foreign guest researchers. In 2025, that figure more than doubled. Overall, the BLA has distributed billions in public money, primarily to organizations close to Fidesz. Major recipients include the Alapjogokért Központ (Center for Fundamental Rights), which received 4.25 billion forints in 2024 for activities openly supporting Fidesz campaigns, along with other groups such as the Méltányosság Politikaelemző Központ and the Harmadik Ezredév Alapítvány.
Funding comes directly from the Prime Minister’s Office under Antal Rogán. Support rose from 13 billion forints in previous years to over 20 billion in 2025, reaching a record 22.38 billion forints in the election year of 2026. Rogán is a longtime close ally of Viktor Orbán and served as the Minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, a powerful position overseeing government communications, strategic funding, and key state institutions.
While much of this money supports domestic propaganda efforts, a significant portion has gone toward international network-building through the Danube Institute. The DI, though not formally registered as a separate entity, serves as the main instrument for this outreach.
Exporting Orbánism through guest researcher contracts
Átlátszó first examined the Danube Institute in 2023 and has since obtained contracts via freedom-of-information requests. Payments have grown steadily: 76.76 million forints in 2022, 179 million in 2023, and 284.6 million in 2024. By 2025, partners signed contracts totalling over 389 million forints, including ongoing and multi-year agreements.
Most contracts are for guest researcher positions offering fixed-term monthly salaries, frequently exceeding one million forints (around €2,500) per month. Some involve one-off honoraria of several million forints for short tasks, such as seminars. For example, British political scientist Timothy Burns received about 4.5 million forints for one seminar in 2024.
Typical obligations include producing research papers or studies (sometimes with specified page counts and topics), appearing in Hungarian government-friendly media such as Mandiner or Magyar Nemzet, and publishing in outlets designated by the foundation, including the Hungarian Conservative and Hungarian Review. Researchers are also expected to participate in international conferences – with travel costs covered – and, in some cases, events like the Tusványos summer festival.
The core message promoted through these funded activities is that Orbán’s government leads a rising international right-wing movement and that its policies offer a model, especially for the United States.
Key figures and high-paid contributors
Several prominent names illustrate the scope of the network:
- Carlos Roa, one of the highest-paid researchers, received over $10,000 (roughly 3 million forints) monthly for more than a year. His articles in The American Conservative and The Wall Street Journal offered foreign policy advice to a potential Trump administration on topics not directly related to Hungary.
- Logan C. West, an American analyst, earned 4,000 euros (1.44 million forints) monthly for a year. His work included writing about Orbán Balázs’s “connectivity” foreign policy strategy in the Eurasia magazine, introduced by György Matolcsy.
- Philip Pilkington, identified through contract details and his research focus on security risks from Irish and Northern Irish extremists, received 5,000 euros (1.8 million forints) monthly. A researcher at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and founder of the “Multipolarity” podcast, he is a regular UnHerd contributor.
- Peter Boghossian, the American philosopher known for his critiques of “woke ideology,” received 1.5 million forints gross monthly until early this year. He produced episodes of his Spectrum Street Epistemology series and provided media appearances and branding advice.
- Nathan Levine of the Heritage Foundation, which has a cooperation agreement with the DI, has also been involved and met with Hungarian state secretary Péter Sztáray.
Significant overlap exists with contributors to UnHerd, owned by businessman Paul Marshall, who has an eclectic background from Soros-backed investments to supporting Brexit.
Eastern opening and contracts running beyond elections
In the past year, the DI has increasingly focused on Eastern partnerships. Contracts include:
- Ibrahim Mammadov, head of the DI’s Turk-Western Relations program, hired in November 2025 for one million forints monthly to build ties in the Turkic world and Central Asia, including writing 10 articles.
- Researchers tasked with networking toward China, South Korea, and East Asia, with monthly payments of $5,000–$5,400.
- Sean Nottoli, who served as a regional director in Trump’s 2024 campaign, engaged in U.S.-Japan networking.
Even after the 2026 elections and a possible government change, several contracts continue. Six new guest researcher agreements signed this year total over 66 million forints, with many running into the second half of the year or beyond. One specialist focused on Israeli and Middle Eastern relations is contracted until year-end at the equivalent of 2.7 million forints monthly. Filmmaker Isaiah Smallman, producer of the documentary “The Future Is at the Border,” received a record one-off honorarium of 4.5 million forints.
The foundation’s responses to information requests have been partial, with many names redacted citing GDPR, though contract details, topics, and payment structures often allow identification.
A lasting legacy?
Through the Danube Institute, Hungarian public funds have supported a broad international network of right-wing commentators, think-tank researchers, and influencers. Contracts emphasize visibility, publication, and relationship-building that portray Orbán’s Hungary as a conservative success story. Many of these financial commitments extend well into the period after the anticipated government transition, raising questions about the long-term use of taxpayer money for ideological outreach.
The longer original article in Hungarian by EUalive’s Atlatszo can be found here.
Caption: Illustrative combo image by Atlatszo
Updated: May 15, 2026 - 06:43
