Fidesz disputes contract details of Ministry of Defence's deal with British firm

Fidesz responded to accusations by Defence Minister Ruszin-Szendi that the former ministry leadership misused funds, insisting the decisions aimed to give Hungarian soldiers top-level preparation. Media reports said the previous ministry signed a consultancy contract with the British firm Anders de Wiart Associates concerning the German-designed Lynx combat vehicle. According to Fidesz, the money allocated to the consultancy was spent on policy development, senior officer training and a uniform that was never put into service.

The party highlighted that Hungary was the first NATO force to field the Lynx, a next-generation vehicle, and therefore had no prior long-term operational experience. It also clarified that the contract’s purpose was to embed real operational and NATO experience into the Hungarian Armed Forces, involving senior NATO-qualified officers in tactical training and doctrine development. Fidesz concluded that the contract’s reported monetary figure was incorrect.