Hungarian Prime Minister's Office files complaint over Sovereignty Protection Agency's costly PR contracts

The Prime Minister's Office reported that the Sovereignty Protection Agency allocated substantial funds to Lounge Design Kft. and New Land Media Kft., companies belonging to a consortium controlled by Balásy Gyula, for communication and event-management services. These outlays represented over a quarter of the agency's entire budget, even though it has no designated public-relations, advertising, or image-building responsibilities.

Specific costs cited include 19.7 million for participant hospitality at 15 debate evenings, 163.4 million for a five-part documentary series, 110 million for a March 15 drone show, 65 million in daily drone rental fees, and more than 70 million for foreign-language informational videos. Additional spending covered internal activities such as 13 million for holiday celebrations and 40.5 million for a two-day team-building training.

The agency already employs certified translators and creative staff, raising questions about the justification for these external contracts. The Prime Minister's Office has therefore filed a complaint alleging mismanagement of funds, the 24th such case filed by ministries for expenditures incurred between 2024 and 2026.