On July 21, Hungarian prosecutors together with the tax service conducted searches at the offices of the Fidesz party, where servers and databases are located. The prosecutor of Bács-Kiskun County, Marianna Bodó, confirmed that the searches are part of an investigation into suspicious use of grant funds through the National Cultural Fund during the Orbán government era. However, Fidesz itself saw something different in this.
Investigators from the prosecutor's office appeared unannounced at the data processing center where the Fidesz party servers are located, intending to seize the entire party communication system and databases. Since 1990, since the fall of communism, there have been no such precedents in Hungary.
— from the Fidesz party statement on Facebook
What is actually being investigated
Six current and former officials have already been charged in connection with the theft of approximately 17 billion forints ($53.5 million) through the National Cultural Fund. According to the investigation, the funds were distributed non-transparently — in favor of artists and performers connected with Fidesz, some of whom actively campaigned for the party ahead of April elections. The accused deny their guilt.
That is, the server searches are not an attempt to stop the party as such, but a search for evidence in a specific criminal case. The difference is significant, even if Fidesz does not recognize it.
Context: Orbán lost, but the system remained
Fidesz ruled Hungary for 16 years — until a crushing defeat in the April 2026 elections. During this time, the party was systematically accused of rampant corruption, capture of institutions, and undermining the rule of law.
Coming to power in May, Prime Minister Péter Magyar began dismantling what he himself calls Orbán's "mafia": firing political appointees — including the country's president — and heads of institutions that, in his view, facilitated the authoritarian course of his predecessor.
Fidesz, in turn, accused Magyar's ruling Tisza party of attempting to destroy the opposition through legal methods. Tisza responded that it is merely fulfilling pre-election promises, relying on a convincing mandate from voters.
Operation "Cleansing Fire" and what comes next
Magyar announced Operation "Cleansing Fire" — a comprehensive legal and political action against corruption in all branches of power, aimed primarily at officials from the Orbán government. The search of Fidesz servers is one of the first visible steps of this operation.
- Cultural fund case: 6 accused, $53.5 million in suspicious payments to artists connected with the party
- Scope of investigations: prosecutors are working together with the National Tax and Customs Service
- Fidesz's position: declared the authorities' actions unprecedented since the fall of communism in 1990
The key question is not whether there was corruption — the investigation has already brought charges against six individuals. The question is whether Magyar will be able to bring the case to convictions, if the judicial system, which Fidesz shaped over years, remains in the hands of appointees loyal to Orbán.
