A scandal erupted in Hungary after independent MP Ákos Hadasi published photos of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's unfinished residence in Hatvanpuszta, which includes a palm garden and a private zoo.

Akos Hadasi published photos of the Orban family's estate in Hatvanpusta, which, according to Gergely Gulyas, the minister responsible for the prime minister's office, is simply an "estate," while Orban himself claims that it is his father's farm, which is still under construction, HVG and other Hungarian media reported.

The independent MP also shared older photos of the estate taken four years ago. He said the photos were taken by "a worker who was hired there for a short time but quickly left because he was 'disgusted'". According to Hadasi, construction workers are subject to strict rules: "their phones are confiscated and threats are made when they enter the premises."

"Well, if this is a farm, then it's a very strange one," Hadasi wrote on Facebook.

According to his description, the photos show that "a heating cable has been installed under the park's flooring so that the prime minister does not have to clear the snow himself (the flooring has become the most expensive cobblestone flooring possible)."

Additional photos show an underground corridor lined with bricks connecting the buildings.

Over the weekend, Hadazi even organized a tour of Hatvanpusta. During the first such visit, interested participants were able to peek into the carefully fenced-off area from a staircase.

Several thousand people joined the tour, all eager to see for themselves whether the independent MP was right: whether this was really an unfinished farm belonging to Orbán's father, or rather a baroque castle for Orbán's son – with a library, an alley, chapel, palm garden, solar power plant, fountains, underground garage, pond, and private zoo.

Hungarian journalists compared the atmosphere at the estate to that of the moment when protesters first stormed the country house of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 to see with their own eyes whether his toilet was really made of gold.

A mother encouraged her five-year-old son to bypass the queue of cars, at least 2 kilometers long, saying, "Let's go see the zebras!" There were so many exotic animals that even the hastily erected earthen embankment, police guards, mobile fences, and quad bikes were not enough to keep the zebras, antelopes, and buffaloes away from curious onlookers.

Orbán's builders demolished classical architectural monuments to build a rural residence in their place.

Although members of the government and Viktor Orbán himself have repeatedly stated that, contrary to news reports, the Hatvanpusta estate is simply the prime minister's father's farm, energy certificates obtained by a member of parliament show that an official energy certificate was also requested for a residential building.

Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisa party and Orbán's main rival in the upcoming elections, has already promised that if he comes to power, the State Audit Office will launch an investigation into the assets of all former members of the government, officials, and their close relatives from the last 20 years. He pointed out that the investigation will also cover Viktor Orbán's estate in Hatvanpusta.

"The National Property Restoration and Protection Service will be able to request all information from the licensing authorities and the cultural heritage protection service, as well as question investors and workers employed at Viktor Orbán's construction site," Magyar said.

It should be noted that in recent months, Hungarians have protested against a number of Orbán's decisions. In particular, demonstrations were organized in protest against a bill targeting public organizations and independent media, as well as a law banning LGBT pride.

Following the adoption of the law banning LGBT pride, the Hungarian parliament also approved amendments to the Basic Law, which, among other things, restrict the rights of the LGBT community.

All opposition parties opposed the adoption of the amendment to Hungary's Basic Law. In addition, mass protests against it were held in Budapest.

Meanwhile, a bill entitled "On the Transparency of Public Life" will allow the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty to blacklist organizations that receive foreign funding, including EU grants. The office will be able to do so if it considers that the organizations pose a "threat" to national sovereignty. | BGNES