Szabolcs Panyi

4 weeks ago | vsquare.org | Szabolcs Panyi

Welcome to another serving of Goulash — your trusted dish of Central European chaos, slowly stewed with investigative spice and a pinch of political scoops. This week’s pot is particularly rich: we’re dishing out a story about how Viktor Orbán used Hungary’s EU presidency to quietly ladle public money into his family’s hotel. You’ll also find some hot new details on Pegasus spyware — yes, it’s back on the boil — with links to Hungary and the Czech Republic.

4 weeks ago | vsquare.org | Szabolcs Panyi

Flóra Tárkányi (Direkt36) Szabolcs Panyi (VSquare, Direkt36) Photo: Viktor Orbán's Facebook page 2025-04-17 During Hungary’s EU presidency, Viktor Orbán’s government pushed visiting delegations to stay at Hotel Dorothea, a luxury hotel owned by the prime minister’s son-in-law. One of the most striking cases was Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, whose delegation was redirected there by Hungarian organizers despite having booked elsewhere.

1 month ago | vsquare.org | Szabolcs Panyi

HungaryHungary ranks second in terms of public warmth toward authoritarian powers. However, despite Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s overtures to Moscow, 61% of Hungarian respondents view Russia negatively, and only 21% hold a positive view of the country. Supporters of Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party are the most pro-Russian (42%), closely followed by voters of the far-right Our Homeland party (40%).

1 month ago | vsquare.org | Szabolcs Panyi

Welcome back to Goulash, where we dish out the hottest bites from Central Europe’s political kitchen. Donald Trump’s latest moves are once again shaking up global alliances and markets — and our region is feeling the heat. Central Europe is in a vulnerable spot, just as Russian meddling ramps up, with our new analysis explaining all the recent cyber campaigns in Germany and beyond.

1 month ago | vsquare.org | Szabolcs Panyi

Welcome back to Goulash, where we keep stirring the pot on Central Europe’s bubbling political landscape. The far-right is rising in Poland, while Viktor Orbán has been turning up the heat on his own radical agenda in Hungary—seasoning his rule with yet another alarming far-right shift. Our main scoop this week is particularly spicy: Orbán’s intelligence agency is now cooking up a blacklist of so-called foreign agents, whom he has labeled stink bugs and vowed to “eliminate by Easter”.