How political patronage reshaped Hungary's competition authority

Research based on more than two dozen interviews with past and present GVH employees indicates that the competition authority gradually adopted a "servile" communication style that mirrored the governing party’s rhetoric. Early cases, like the forced sale of radio stations to Mészáros Lőrinc and the approval of the KESMA media fund, were handled with political considerations, often invoking a "national strategic importance" label.

Subsequent leadership under Tóth András and later Rigó Csaba deepened the politicisation, with the latter openly seeking approval from senior Fidesz figures and encouraging staff to support party campaigns. The agency’s enforcement record shows a pattern of harsh penalties on foreign retailers and leniency toward firms linked to the party’s economic network, such as Nitrogénművek and Homlok-csoport. Internal documents reveal attempts to suppress political expression among staff, while the GVH publicly denies any political pressure. The report also notes a steady increase in cartel investigations and fines, but questions remain about the impartiality of the authority’s actions.