LEAKED: PM Orbán’s close friend, Lőrinc Mészáros’s bank, provided another large loan to the Spanish VOX party
The bank owned by Lőrinc Mészáros, the wealthiest Hungarian and a close friend of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has granted a substantial loan to the Spanish far-right party VOX. Again.
Another large loan to the Spanish VOX party
This development is particularly notable given Orbán’s strong stance on protecting Hungary’s sovereignty. His government has been keen to penalise news outlets and NGOs that receive foreign financial support. The first loan from Mészáros’s MBH Bank to VOX came under close scrutiny. However, prosecutors determined that VOX repaid the loan with interest, confirming it was not a donation.
According to the Spanish newspaper El País, financial support from Orbán’s circle to VOX is no longer an exception but rather the norm. In 2023, the revelation that MBH Bank had extended a EUR 9.2 million loan to the right-wing radical party sparked a political scandal. The Hungarian Secretary for National Economy acknowledged the loan but emphasised that it was strictly a financial decision.
- For more details, see our full report in the issue HERE.
The latest financial report from VOX reveals another EUR 7 million loan from Hungary. Ignacio Garriga, VOX’s general secretary, explained in a letter to party members that Spanish banks refuse to lend to VOX, which is why the party relies on the Hungarian bank. However, data contradicts this claim, showing that VOX also received loans from Spanish banks BBVA and Santander, amounting to EUR 1.8 million and EUR 955,000, respectively.
- Read more about VOX joining Orbán’s political alliance in Europe HERE
Le Pen also supported
Returning to the initial loan, prosecutors confirmed that VOX repaid it with EUR 1 million in interest, so it was not considered a donation. Yet, according to 444.hu, MBH Bank violated election laws by failing to notify the State Audit Office about the transaction.
In 2022, Mészáros’s bank—then operating under a different name—also provided over EUR 10 million in loans for Marine Le Pen’s presidential campaign in France. VOX and Marine Le Pen are both members of Orbán’s political alliance, the Patriots, as noted by 444.hu.
- Orbán himself has expressed confidence that Marine Le Pen will be the next president of France. For more on this, click HERE.
