Few weeks have been as intense in Hungarian domestic politics as the one that began as September gave way to October. Perhaps not since the election have so many affairs erupted at once: two ministers have been arrested in criminal proceedings launched partly against them. It is no surprise that independent local newsrooms have also reported on major public and political stories, including pieces about the figures most often mentioned in the news. This week’s selection also highlights the Debreciner’s report and video about a Roma group taking action against the increasingly serious spread of drug use.
A comprehensive investigation may begin at Universitas Miskolcinensis Foundation, which maintains the University of Miskolc. In an interview with Borsod24, the foundation’s new chair said they do not want to make judgments based on impressions or press reports, but will also review the previous operation from a financial perspective. The interview covers the foundation’s assets, the limits of university autonomy, expanding student accommodation and modernising buildings.
Read the full article on Borsod24 →
Some residents of Biharnagybajom, a village of 2,400 people, had become so fed up with drug-related crime and street use that they started an anti-drug group made up mainly of Roma residents. Members patrol the village in Hajdú-Bihar every evening. Debreciner journalists visited the settlement and joined the patrol for one night.
Read the report on Debreciner → · Watch the video →
Like many other municipalities, Eger’s budget is now in ruins, and under the current operating model there appears to be no real prospect of consolidation. The city’s mayor has therefore asked the government for extraordinary help. According to an article by egriszin.hu, the municipality’s identity campaign also echoes the governing party’s political messaging.
Read the full article on Egri Szín →
On October 1, the Kecskemét District Court held a closed hearing in the case of Balázs Hankó, interrupted by several breaks. The investigating judge ultimately ordered the former Fidesz culture minister to be held in pre-trial detention for thirty days, citing the risk of flight, concealment and unlawful interference with the proceedings.
Read the full article on KecsUP Hírek →
The political career of KDNP politician Miklós Seszták began in Kisvárda, in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. He was an external member of a municipal committee in 1994, became an MP in 2010 and served as minister for national development from 2014. In recent days he was arrested — not yet by a final court ruling — on suspicion of accepting an official bribe in a case connected to Volánbusz worth around HUF 11 billion.
Read more on Szabolcs24 →
Szeged’s drinking-water supply is currently stable, but BYD and the industrial investments planned for the coming years could significantly increase the city’s water demand. The Southern Great Plain has seen a rainfall deficit of 120–150 millimetres this year. The long-term question is therefore not only whether there is enough water now, but also what level of industrial water use can be sustained as the region’s water balance deteriorates.
Read the full article on Szegeder →
Attila Várhegyi has returned to the focus of public life after the current leadership of Duna Media Service announced that it would file a report over problems uncovered in the operation of the public media. The Szol24 article reveals that, according to an internal investigation, the former mayor of Szolnok exerted significant influence over the organisation while serving as an adviser without formal management powers.
Read the full article on Szol24 →
Veszprém closed last year with a record HUF 14 billion in local business tax revenue. This year, however, the city will receive HUF 2.5 billion less than the planned HUF 13 billion from this tax, making a budget amendment necessary.
Read the full report on Veszprém Kukac →
The independent local press looks at empty municipal flats in Eger, a Kecskemét deputy mayor living in a social rental despite earning nearly HUF 3 million, the trap of public works, public funding for organisations in Debrecen, a cracked railway bridge and a volunteer watch being organised at Szolnok railway station.
Borsod24: Szalonna and Bódvaszilas — are Roma families being deliberately moved to Borsod from Slovakia?
The story of a 17-member family that moved from Szepsi to Bódvaszilas has been linked in recent weeks to an earlier plan to move Roma families to Szalonna. The family arrived in early August, after which rumours spread about disorder, noise and other problems. Borsod24 contacted mayor Ákos Kosik to clarify what happened, what complaints had been received and what lay behind the introduction of a local identity-protection decree.
https://borsod24.hu/2026/09/16/felvideki-romak-borsodban-a-szobeszed-mossa-ossze-a-szalonnai-es-bodvaszilasi-torteneteket-alaptalanul/
Debreciner: The government and municipality gave hundreds of millions to Debrecen organisations supporting Fidesz politics
One organisation linked to the Debrecen city administration received more than half a billion forints from the municipality in just a few years. Presenting itself as a green movement, it never spoke out about the environmental harm of battery-industry investments in the city. After the government reformed the central public-data register, Debreciner checked again the groups that had openly supported the Fidesz mayor and the public money they received.
https://debreciner.hu/cikk/eveken-at-juttatott-szazmilliokat-a-fidesz
Egri Szín: Eger’s squandered social-housing system
The city has 800 rental flats, but only 30 are genuinely social homes. One hundred stand empty while 200 people are waiting for housing. Rental contracts have practically stopped for years, even as the municipality sells empty flats at an accelerating pace. Meanwhile, better-off people rent municipal properties for a few tens of thousands of forints a month. Everyone involved shifts the blame elsewhere, writes egriszin.hu.
https://www.egriszin.hu/tartalom/cikk/13479_elherdalt_berlakasrendszer_egerben
KecsUP Hírek: Fidesz deputy mayor lives in a social rental flat despite earning nearly HUF 3 million
During a break in the Kecskemét city council meeting on September 24, three opposition representatives held a press conference. They said that although deputy mayor Gábor Fekete earns nearly HUF 3 million a month, plus benefits and a company car, he lives in a social rental flat in the city centre. Fekete responded that his grandfather and later his mother had lived there. The opposition called on him to resign, but he did not do so.
https://kecsup.hu/2026/09/tobb-millios-fizetessel-szocialis-berlakasban-lakik-a-fideszes-alpolgarmester-a-lemondasat-kovetelik
Photo: KecsUP
Szabolcs24: Trapped in public works in eastern Hungary
Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg had the most public workers in February 2026: 15,600 people. Public works remain an important source of income in many settlements, while moving to the primary labour market is made difficult by low educational attainment, poor transport and the challenges of commuting. Many people who leave the programme eventually return to it.
https://szabolcs24.hu/2026/09/25/het-osztallyal-sehol-nem-allnak-velem-szoba-mi-tart-bent-ezreket-a-kozmunkaban-szabolcsban/
Szegeder: A structural element of the railway bridge at Algyő has cracked
During a routine inspection, MÁV found a crack in a cross-bracing element of the Algyő railway bridge over the Tisza, so the speed limit was reduced from 100 to 60 km/h. The restriction affects the Szeged–Hódmezővásárhely tram-train and services on the Szeged–Békéscsaba line, although the railway company says it has not yet disrupted the timetable.
https://szegeder.hu/regio/2026-09-20/megrepedt-az-algyoi-vasuti-hid-szerkezeti-eleme-100-km-ora-helyett-csak-60-nal-jar-a-tram-train/
Szol24: Volunteers are organising a watch at Szolnok railway station
A volunteer watch is being organised to monitor Szolnok railway station and its surroundings, but the legal framework of the initiative is not yet clear. Szol24 asked the police under what conditions such a service could operate and what role the police could play. The authorities said they knew about the initiative but were not involved in organising it.
https://szol24.hu/2026/09/24/sajat-figyeloszolgalatot-szerveznek-a-szolnoki-vasutallomashoz-megerkezett-a-rendorseg-allasfoglalasa/
Veszprém Kukac: The examination room at Veszprém hospital’s ophthalmology department is being renovated
Renovation has begun at the ophthalmology department of Csolnoky Ferenc Hospital in Veszprém. The existing conditions had become outdated in the open-plan examination room and did not ensure patients’ comfort or privacy during doctor–patient meetings. Careful planning preceded the project because the floor area cannot be expanded.
https://veszpremkukac.hu/csolnoky-ferenc-korhaz-megujul-a-szemeszeti-osztaly-vizsgaloja_unikum/
Debrecen’s EcoPro cathode factory public hearing ended in scandal. Chinese workers and bunk beds were found in a former Szeged restaurant that is not suitable for accommodation. Veszprém Kukac sent questions to the city’s mayor about the renovation of the Petőfi Theatre — and received answers.
Borsod24: Bronze Age graves preserve the memory of thousands of years of history in Bükkábrány
Nearly two hundred graves from a Bronze Age cemetery uncovered in the area of the Bükkábrány lignite mine offer a rare glimpse into the lives of communities that lived thousands of years ago. Archaeologists from the Herman Ottó Museum are also examining what the finds reveal about the people who once lived there.
https://borsod24.hu/2026/09/11/kiraboltak-a-sirok-85-szazalekat-megis-maradtak-kincsek-bukkabranyban/
Debreciner: The public hearing on the EcoPro cathode factory in Debrecen ended in scandal
Why were residents threatened at the Debrecen public hearing? Why did the political elite linked to the city fail to appear? And why was one of EcoPro’s factory buildings closed two days later? Debreciner journalists looked for answers in their Térkő podcast.
https://debreciner.hu/cikk/botranyba-fulladt-az-ecopro-katodgyar-kozmeghallgatasa-debrecenben-terko-15
Egri Szín: Cultural decline will be difficult to reverse
The new theatre management had to face the fact that decades of cultural nihilism had practically emptied the auditorium. According to Egri Szín, an audience that enjoys the arts does not simply appear: it has to grow up, and it can also disappear.
https://www.egriszin.hu/tartalom/cikk/13464_szelhamos_egerben
KecsUP Hírek: The previously uncovered stand at Kecskemét’s football stadium now has a roof
The renovation of Széktói Stadium cost HUF 700 million, 70 percent of it from TAO funds. Covering the stand on the side facing the city centre was the most visible element of the project.
https://kecsup.hu/2026/09/atadtak-a-szektoi-stadion-napos-oldalat-szombaton-a-szurkolok-is-birtokba-vehetik-galeriaval
Szabolcs24: The population of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg is shrinking faster than the national average
More than 41,000 fewer people live in the county than ten years ago, while the number of working-age residents fell by more than 50,000 and the number of people over 65 grew by nearly 15,000. The analysis also looks at the settlements where the population decline was greatest.
https://szabolcs24.hu/2026/09/18/41-ezerrel-kevesebben-elnek-szabolcsban-mint-tiz-eve-a-varosok-kozul-csak-egy-tudott-noni/
Szegeder: The former Blue Star restaurant almost became a workers’ hostel
An inspection found 37 bunk beds and ten Chinese citizens in the closed Szeged restaurant. The county government office identified fire-safety deficiencies and established that the property, in its current condition, was not suitable for accommodation.
https://szegeder.hu/szeged/2026-09-14/kinai-munkasokat-es-emeletes-agyakat-talaltak-egy-volt-szegedi-etteremben-pedig-a-hely-szallasnak-nem-alkalmas/
Szol24: One fewer member in the Szolnok Fidesz group
Gyula Menkó left the Fidesz–KDNP municipal group and will continue as an independent representative. His departure means the governing-party group has lost its previous automatic majority in the Szolnok assembly.
https://szol24.hu/2026/09/16/menko-gyula-elmondta-miert-hagyta-ott-a-fidesz-kdnp-frakciot/
Veszprém Kukac: Questions and answers about the renovation of the Petőfi Theatre
Because of anomalies surrounding the investment, Veszprém Kukac sent several questions to mayor Gyula Porga and then published the reply in full.
https://veszpremkukac.hu/gigaberuhazas-kerdesek-es-valaszok-a-petofi-szinhaz-felujitasaval-kapcsolatosan/
A HUF 250 million consulting contract in Kecskemét, a Fidesz–Tisza meeting in Eger, continuing battery-industry controversies in Debrecen, plans for Penészlek, the question of whether Hungarians will profit from the Chinese BYD factory, a shortage of GPs in Szolnok and soaring rents in Veszprém — a selection from last week’s reporting by independent local online newspapers.
Juhász Roland, the Tisza Party’s politician in Miskolc, explains why he previously avoided press attention and why he now felt it important to speak. In his interview with Borsod24 he discusses the situation in Miskolc, recent discontent and conflicts inside the party. He also talks about possible new MPs, voting discipline and individual conscience, the importance of accountability, Miskolc’s most urgent problems, his relationship with a fellow representative and political responsibility after the election.
After more than three and a half years, a public hearing about battery projects was held in Debrecen. Concerned and angry residents found the government office more interested in disciplining them than in giving meaningful answers. The Mikepércs Mothers group says the factory permit should be reviewed because of earlier legal violations. Debreciner published a detailed video report.
Eger mayor Ákos Vágner (Fidesz) and state secretary Péter Bódis (Tisza) met recently and held lengthy talks. They issued separate statements, but both presented themselves as responsible decision-makers. The report looks at what was discussed, the contrasting tone of the two accounts and what it means for a city government and a national politician to negotiate in this way.
Over the past few years, Ágnes Csapó, a municipal chief adviser appointed by Fidesz mayor Klaudia Szemereyné Pataki, allegedly gave advice and instructions to the city hall and municipal companies in exchange for a quarter of a billion forints in public money, reportedly from Madeira. Opposition representative József Király filed a complaint on suspicion of negligent or unfaithful management and shared the documents obtained through a public-data request with KecsUP Hírek.
Photo: KecsUP Hírek
Szabolcs24 asked mayor Péter Bíró how the village is responding to Partizán’s new eastern-Hungary base and what the community of just over a thousand people might gain from it. A studio and podcast and video workshop are being created in a former medical clinic that has stood empty for ten years. The mayor says the most important benefit could be national attention for Penészlek, its values, history and residents.
BYD has spoken from the beginning about building a local supplier chain, but will Hungarian companies really profit, or remain at a lower level? Szegeder investigates. Although BYD cited business secrecy and gave no details, the national investment agency confirmed that at least 24 companies are already cooperating with the factory. One company from Győr also shared its experience.
Photo: András Bálint / Szegeder
The city’s 13th adult GP district, vacant for seven years, ended on September 1. Around 1,560 residents were redistributed between practices 24 and 26, although free choice of doctor means not everyone is automatically assigned to the new district. Doctors say the higher patient numbers are a serious burden, especially for older and chronically ill people.
The housing-search season has begun and students are looking for affordable flats in Veszprém. A small one-room flat can now cost HUF 140,000–150,000 a month, while larger or better-located homes commonly cost HUF 200,000. Fresh listings include flats advertised for HUF 250,000–300,000 a month.
A factory standing empty despite billions in subsidies, endangered city bus services, a state secretary calling for solidarity, safer streets in Kecskemét, a fatal workplace accident in Szeged, a new political initiative in Veszprém — and the story of how electric street lighting, Túró Rudi and local pride are connected in Mátészalka. This week’s selection from the Független Helyi Lapok Community brings local stories behind the national headlines closer through the work of seven newsrooms.
More than a thousand people signed an online petition in two days calling for meaningful improvements to public safety in Kecskemét. The initiator lists open drug use, begging, the poor condition of public spaces, night-time disorder and property crime among the most pressing problems. Signatories ask the municipality and law-enforcement agencies to increase the walking presence of police and city wardens in critical districts, and to close and regularly inspect playgrounds.
At Mátészalka’s Fényes Days, one member of the Bruno x Spacc duo learned from the mayor how closely the Pöttyös Túró Rudi brand is tied to the town. Behind the entertaining scene are two pieces of local history: electric street lighting was switched on in Mátészalka in 1888, and the sweet has been produced there for almost six decades. The article shows how electric light became a city celebration and Túró Rudi a source of livelihoods and a symbol of local pride.
Work was under way at the Szeged government office on Tuesday when an industrial climber fell onto the roof of the Vármegye Restaurant and died. The fall may have been at least 15 metres. Police told Szegeder that the cause is unknown and have opened an investigation into suspected endangerment committed in the course of employment.
A fruit-processing plant built with HUF 1.7 billion in EU support is still unused and is now being auctioned for HUF 600 million, Szol24 reports. The investor is under liquidation and its managing director and a business partner were registered at the same Dubai address. The buildings are subject to a mortgage of nearly HUF 1.7 billion held by a company linked to Indotek.
Solidarity, not stigmatisation, is needed, Kinga Szabó-Tóth told Borsod24 in a video interview about the crisis in social care. Staff shortages, overcrowded institutions and workers forced to take several jobs characterise the sector. The interview also examines the state’s and society’s responsibility for helping people in vulnerable situations.
Tibor Navracsics announced a civic initiative called Civil Democrats to encourage dialogue about Hungary’s future. In an ATV studio discussion he said nobody has to reveal their party preference, only their opinion. Veszprém Kukac looks at the politician’s three decades in public positions and his role in the city’s story.
Before the council meeting, Eger’s Fidesz mayor Ákos Vágner announced that the city’s operation was in danger and asked the government for roughly HUF 800 million in immediate aid because it could no longer finance public transport. The article examines the city’s finances, the cost of the mayor’s office and the political pressure behind the request.