Péter Magyar: PM Orbán ordered to sell 20,000 residency bonds for EUR 250,000 each
According to PM Orbán’s primary challenger, the Tisza Party leader Péter Magyar, the prime minister ordered the national economy minister Márton Nagy to sell 20,000 more residency bonds. This is how the government wants to pump more money into the state budget and take back the lead before the 2026 general elections. Based on the latest polls, Tisza is ahead of Orbán’s Fidesz with more than 500,000 popular votes.
20,000 residency bonds for sale?
Based on Magyar’s latest post in the issue, the Hungarian government would like to issue 20,000 more residency bonds for EUR 250,000 each with which they would indebt the future generations. That is because the EU development and RRF funds (approximately EUR 21 billion) were frozen due to the rule-of-law concerns of the European Commission.
Magyar said that meant taking up a HUF 2,000 billion (EUR 5 billion) debt, a HUF 200,000 burden on each Hungarian from babies to seniors. He suggested that the prime minister was afraid of Tisza’s lead in the polls, so he started to act hastily to keep all the “robbed values” and power. Consequently, they make Hungary more indebted and turn Hungarian against Hungarian. He promised that contrary to the “evil plan” of the prime minister, they would build a country of solidarity, recover the EU funds and represent the interests of all Hungarians.
Ministry denies, calls Magyar’s allegations distraction
Márton Nagy and his ministry denied Magyar’s allegations in a statement issued yesterday. They called Magyar’s post an unfounded collection of fake news harming Hungary’s reputation. The minister said Magyar would only want to distract public attention from Tisza MEP Kinga Kollár’s “high treason” in the European Parliament, against which Orbán’s Fidesz organised a demonstration yesterday in Budapest.
Controversial residency bond programme between 2013-2018
Between 2013 and 2018, a controversial residency bond programme was operated by Antal Rogán, the prime minister’s cabinet minister. In the framework of that program, almost 20,000 people received a national permanent residence permit in Hungary. Most of the buyers came from China, but many came from Muslim countries like Iraq, Afghanistan or Iran despite the government’s anti-immigration campaigns.
Those who wanted to receive a permanent residence permit had to register state bonds worth EUR 300 thousand and pay a further EUR 45-60 thousand service charge. However, the Hungarian state guaranteed a EUR 29 thousand yield to all investors after 5 years. Thus, companies organising the programme could gain marvellous profits. Their total income was approximately EUR 0.5 billion in the programme.
Meanwhile, according to the calculations of a shadow committee examining the program, the state lost at least HUF 20 billion. That is because Hungarian taxpayers bear the burden of paying back the money with interest. The program ended in 2018 due to increased political attacks. Read more about that scheme in THIS article.
A Hungarian Golden Visa Programme kicked off in 2025
In January 2025, the government launched a similar scheme called the Hungarian Golden Visa Programme. Participating in that is not cheap, but you can get Schengen access, a considerable benefit for your investment. You can either invest in a Hungarian property fund of EUR 250,000 or support a Hungarian foundation university in Hungary with EUR 1 million. Click HERE to read more about that scheme. The Hungarian government removed buying real estate for EUR 500,000 in Hungary probably because they did not want to increase demand (and prices) in the country’s skyrocketing property market.
Read also:
- Hungary saw the EU’s number 1 housing cost increase – read more HERE
- Secret changes to Hungary’s residency scheme: What they mean for investors!