Due to the pressure on Hungarian newsrooms, we are transforming the ownership structure of the company that publishes Direkt36.

“When a child is beaten for an hour, where the hell is an adult?” According to a child protection worker, this is one of the most pressing questions in children’s homes. According to research by Direkt36, the system is unable to curb violence among children due to a severe shortage of professionals.

According to documents obtained by Direkt36, accommodation facilities featuring an underground garage, a hot tub, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a gym are being built on the outskirts of the village. The project is also supported by the partly state-owned MBH Bank.

During one of the hearings on ministerial abuse, it emerged that one of the defendants had sent Márton Nobilis, who was then a high-ranking official at the ministry, to a soccer match in Berlin. Márton Nobilis has not been charged with anything in the case, but his father, a well-known businessman, is sitting in the dock.

According to documents obtained by Direkt36, several residents of the Hűvösvölgy children's home reported verbal and physical abuse by certain employees of the institution. Investigations into the matter yielded conflicting findings, but clearly pointed to serious shortcomings in the country's child protection system.

Many hospitals have so few qualified staff that some wards are simply closed off to patients. Direkt36’s latest investigation reveals that this leads to serious problems in healthcare.

Fidesz underestimated opposition leader Péter Magyar so much that they realized too late that he posed a real threat to them. Direkt36 reveals how Viktor Orbán launched his spring offensive against Magyar and how this caused tensions within the government.

Direkt36 has obtained a document indicating that Lőrinc Mészáros provided significant financial assistance to Győző Orbán. There are several indications that this assistance was related to the controversial estate in Hatvanpuszta.

Documents obtained by Direkt36 indicate that a company with multiple ties to the son of the former governor of the Hungarian Central Bank also profited from the business dealings of the bank's foundation.

Although Antal Rogán (the powerful minister running the cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán) proudly announced more than ten years ago that excessively high credit fees had been curbed, in reality, an escape route remained for companies dealing in quick loans. Direkt36 found out that Provident, the largest player in the market, is taking advantage of this, while also building good relationships with an influential Fidesz leader.

In the 2010s, Hungarian intelligence began spying in Brussels against the EU and tried to recruit Hungarians working in EU institutions for this purpose. However, Hungarian intelligence carried it out so blatantly and clumsily that they were exposed, and their network collapsed — as uncovered by Direkt36 in cooperation with Belgian and German partners.

The former prime minister's decision to step down was more dramatic than it appeared to the public. According to an investigation by Direkt36, Ferenc Gyurcsány not only faced opposition from some of his party members, but his problems were compounded by a long-standing romantic relationship and the ensuing crisis in his personal life.

The Prime Minister has long said that he would like to grow the population of Hungary without bringing in immigrants. In recent years, however, not only has the number of births fallen, but the number of people leaving the country has also soared. According to a comprehensive data analysis by Direkt36, many young people left as well, which poses huge risks for the country.

“No reform, that's my motto” - a few years ago, this was the prime minister's explanation for not touching healthcare. But in 2010 he made big promises to improve the system.

Closing hospital wards jeopardizes the safe treatment of patients. The problem is particularly acute in smaller rural institutions. Direkt36 uses the story of a deceased pregnant woman to illustrate the deterioration of healthcare in the region.

The government is trying to hide the problems Hungarian hospitals are facing. However, Direkt36 used artificial intelligence to process more than a thousand official documents, which paint a devastating picture of how healthcare professionals struggle on a daily basis.