Hungary’s Asset Recovery Faces Political and Legal Hurdles

Unger is charged with building a 150-person agency from scratch to dismantle the financial legacy of the System of National Cooperation. Critics, including anti-corruption activist Ákos Hadházy, argue she lacks the necessary legal background, favoring the approach of Transparency International’s Miklós Ligeti, who proposed a strategy centered on airtight, case-specific litigation. Unger instead intends to focus on exposing the systemic patterns of corruption that allowed public funds to be diverted into private hands.

Her public warning—that no major cases might reach a final verdict during her tenure—was interpreted by some as a retreat from accountability. However, the experience of Slovakia, where the National Criminal Agency faced years of delays before being dismantled following Robert Fico's return to power, suggests that Unger’s skepticism may be grounded in the harsh reality of institutional capture. Even Ligeti estimates that only ten percent of the siphoned assets can realistically be recovered.

Simultaneously, the state has achieved a significant victory in its effort to reclaim control over public wealth. By the end of August, the government finalized the liquidation of sixteen public-interest asset management foundations, known as KEKVA. This process returned 1,284 billion forints—nearly €3.5 billion—to state control. These foundations had previously served as vehicles for Fidesz loyalists, such as Balázs Orbán and János Lázár, to manage massive state portfolios outside of direct government oversight.