Legal dispute over castles – The Budapest Times

DK has launched a public interest litigation against the Ministry of Construction and Transport to create transparency in the privatisation of castles.

Party director László Sebián-Petrovszki stated at an online press conference that the DK wanted to clarify who should take over the state-owned castles and the reasons why the government is pushing ahead with this privatisation. The government announced a year ago that it would hand over renovated castles to private investors using budget and EU funds.

DK rejected this measure from the outset and contacted Minister János Lázár directly. In order to gain insight into the tender conditions, the party submitted a public interest enquiry. However, the ministry refused to hand over the bidders’ development and operating plans. As a result, it remains unclear whether the bidders have committed to renovating and operating the castles and under what conditions they can be visited by tourists in the future.

DK has now reported the case to the EU. The Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has subsequently launched an investigation. The party sharply criticises the fact that public castles could be transferred to private ownership free of charge through non-transparent backroom deals. It accuses the government of building up a ‘new aristocracy’ with public funds.