Bence X. Szechenyi

Investigative journalism can be an act of patriotism.

Dear Viktor, I understand that there is an election campaign in your country, and that this time you are truly being challenged for power. But we do not interfere in your election campaign, nor do we want to become part of it. Sweden and the Swedish people have always been friends of Hungary and the Hungarian people, as you know. We were friends of Hungary before your government, during your government, and we will remain so after your government. We remember when Hitler’s genocide of Jews struck Hungary, and how Sweden in 1944 sent diplomat Raoul Wallenberg on a special mission to Budapest, to save as many Hungarian lives as possible. Tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews survived because we provided them with provisional protective passports and citizenship here in Sweden. When the Soviet Union later invaded Hungary, Raoul Wallenberg was forcibly taken to Moscow and disappeared. The Swedish diplomat died, but tens of thousands of Hungarian lives were saved. We would do it again. We also remember when the Soviet Union brutally crushed your Hungarian struggle for democracy and freedom in 1956, and when Prime Minister Imre Nagy was later executed for his efforts to democratize the country. When Russian tanks crushed the Hungarian freedom struggle, the Hungarian people pleaded with the UN and all Western powers for help. Almost no one listened. But one country that showed deep solidarity with you was Sweden. We opened our arms to your freedom fighters and dissidents. We allowed you to build exile opposition against Soviet communism here, despite our non-alignment. It was not without risk for us. But we did it anyway—because it was the right thing to do. Today, over 40,000 people of Hungarian descent live in Sweden, many of whom are descendants of the Hungarian refugees who came here in connection with the 1956 uprising. They are a well-integrated immigrant group in our Swedish society. Democratic states help each other, then and now. And they stand up against countries that try to oppress others. That is why, just as in 1944 and 1956, we support democratic countries that Russian tanks try to overrun. Back then, it was about Hungary; today, it is about Ukraine. And if we do not act, it could be about another country tomorrow. This is also why we often express concern about the developments in Hungary in recent years. Hungary ultimately regained its freedom, but freedom must also be defended. That is why we question when you go to have coffee with the leader of the same country that crushed your compatriots’ freedom struggle in 1956 and that today attacks your neighbour, Ukraine. Hungary and the West are not strengthened by closing the door to their European friends or by attacking each other and the very things that distinguish us from barbarism — democracy and the rule of law. Let me conclude with some wise words from yourself in 2007: “As kind of a new generation of the West, our message to those younger than we is to stick to a Western type Hungary, not to let Hungary be derailed from its Western path, and to love that Hungary is a Western type country, which means that we believe in the free will of people and in the mutual responsibility towards each other that we take upon us, which are inseparable parts of Western culture. The oil might come from the east, but freedom always comes from the west. And democracy cannot be directed from above, it can only grow from the hearts of people and in this way create a viable, Hungarian life.” Finally, I wish to convey Sweden’s respect for the Hungarian people, and to wish your country a free, peaceful, and successful election.

🌈💪Billboards across Budapest now display a photo of Hungary’s largest-ever Pride March—banned by Orbán, defied by 200K people, and turned into a mass anti-government rally—put up by the capital’s opposition-led leadership. No text—just a photo of a crowd like never seen before.

💥Viktor Orbán’s main lobbying arm abroad, Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), was founded by his ex-national security advisor András Tombor. @444hu reveals testimonies suggesting MCC’s founder was the “godfather” behind a decade-long scheme siphoning public funds from Budapest.🧵

@SophieTBHonest @MartonKami 😂😂😂

@BenceXavier @MartonKami No Bence darl’, Orbán never promised to raise birth rates. He said they TRY, at least give it a chance. He emphasized that it may not work. Low birth rate is a global phenomenom in the wealthier nations everywhere around the world. Orbán does it right to work on it. You suck

Me and @MartonKami investigated Hungarian population decline. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long promised to raise birthrates (& failed to do so), but we found that one third of the decline is caused by Hungarians moving to other EU countries: direkt36.hu/en/itt-vannak-…

Thank you @direkt36 and @msexcel for making this possible 🫶

“We found a special position in the Hungarian media landscape. We’re not part of the news cycle. We focus all of our resources on investigative projects, reporting on stories that matter for the audience.” @andraspe co-founder of @direkt36 buff.ly/BTrK2Cr

Interjút készített velem a Válasz Online. Itt olvasható: valaszonline.hu/2025/02/12/sze…

@philippilk Watch the film, man.

The clip appears to be a guy asking about membership in a private members club. It looks like pretty every private members club in Europe. In fact, it seems notably less restrictive than Pall Mall and US clubs where you need to be introduced by multiple members.🤷‍♂️

"The Dynasty" - Direkt36's new documentary has reached one million views. Thank you! If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it here: youtu.be/bZ4SXv9qJHM?si…

The new @direkt36 documentary is finally released! “The Dynasty” investigates how Viktor Orban’s family got so rich. Everyone should watch and learn the mechanisms of corruption. (Featuring reporting by me) youtu.be/bZ4SXv9qJHM?si…

🎥🍿 Full house at @direkt36’s 10th birthday party and the exclusive screening of “The Dynasty: How Viktor Orbán’s Business Empire Was Born”. Huge thanks to our supporters & the creators! The first documentary on the Orbán family’s enrichment—coming soon to YouTube! @andraspe

🚨 THE DYNASTY: HOW THE BUSINESS EMPIRE OF VIKTOR ORBÁN’S FAMILY WAS BORN 🚨
 The very first documentary on the Hungarian PM’s family wealth is coming soon on Direkt36—also with English subtitles! Stay tuned & spread the trailer! 🎥🔥

💥💥NEW INVESTIGATION: Hungary spied on EU officials, including OLAF investigators who were probing the company of PM Orbán’s son-in-law. However, there’s a twist to the story: Hungary’s intelligence agency became entangled in internal political rivalries. direkt36.hu/en/english-eu-…

❗️#Hungarian CIA reportedly spied on EU officials. Officials from EU anti-fraud office were allegedly followed, wiretapped and had their laptops hacked by Hungary’s intelligence agency. Original story by @panyiszabolcs politico.eu/article/hungar…

❗️🇭🇺 Election system overhaul”. Just weeks after opposition Tisza party overtook Fidesz in polls, #Hungarian justice committee submits bill to change the election system. This includes a redrawing of the election map, Budapest sending two MPs less to Parliament. Stay tuned

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been engaged in peace talks since the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh War, an effort commended by Western representatives. Yet for Armenians, a gulf exists between a forced peace and dignified peace. pulitzercenter.org/stories/price-…

Western representatives praise the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks as capable of bringing dignified peace to the region. Our reporting from Armenia shows a far more complex reality.

Me and @ellachakarian for @pulitzercenter. This story took months of reporting. Please give it a read 🤍 pulitzercenter.org/stories/price-…