Tanács Zoltán: "Elképesztő pazarlás folyt a tárcánál"

Summary

Science and Technology Minister Zoltán Tanács said his ministry is reviewing inherited contracts and spending, and has referred several matters to the authorities. He stressed that suspicions are not proof of theft and that investigations must establish responsibility.

Investigations and public spending

Tanács said a newly received package concerns five separate matters involving an IT-company group, with suspected irregularities totaling about HUF 8 billion. One case involves the National Data Agency, including questionable expenses and a consultancy arrangement reportedly worth nearly HUF 4 million a month for three and a half years without meaningful results. He said complaints would be filed.

He also cited earlier complaints relating to education and document-management systems, the Gondosóra service, and other projects. He cautioned that the amounts under review do not mean the full sums were stolen.

Gondosóra and digital services

The minister said the state spent HUF 27 billion on Gondosóra in 2025 and argued that a better-organized service could cost roughly half as much. The government is arranging to transfer the service and its software to state control before the current contract ends, with the aim of maintaining continuity.

Tanács said concerns about a political party’s access to users’ personal data had been referred to the data-protection authority, which has opened an investigation. He said future versions of the service could offer more features, such as health monitoring, while emphasizing that the goal is better service for less money—not simply cutting costs.

Other contracts under review

Tanács described a HUF 16 billion real-estate information-system project that he said had been accepted despite incomplete functionality. The state is now trying to complete it using its own company.

He also discussed a broad review of a large company group’s relationship with the state, including active IT contracts reportedly worth about HUF 200 billion. He said the review is complex and that conclusions are expected in the next month or two, but declined to comment on individual contracts or assets before it is complete.

Research funding and HUN-REN

Tanács said the government intends to increase spending on research and development, with a target of reaching 2% of GDP within four years and an aspiration to reach 3% over eight to ten years. He identified low researcher salaries and inadequate research infrastructure as major problems, estimating that about HUF 60 billion would be needed initially for infrastructure.

On HUN-REN, he said the government had asked its leaders to step down and proposed researcher András Stipsicz as interim head. A board meeting was expected the following week, with legislation to reform the research network anticipated in November.

Education and government IT

Tanács said the government had halted the mandatory rollout of the POSID document-management system after receiving indications that comparable alternatives could cost substantially less. The aim, he said, is to give institutions more choice, keep essential systems and source code under state control, and allow private providers to supply optional services.

He added that existing school information systems were operating at the start of the school year.

HUNOR and future industries

Tanács defended the HUNOR space programme as an investment in research and future industries. He noted that astronaut Tibor Kapu carried out more than 20 experiments in fields including life sciences, agriculture, climate, and materials science.

He acknowledged the expense but argued that Hungary must invest in areas such as space, biotechnology, AI, and quantum computing if it is to move beyond low-value manufacturing.

Digital and AI plans

The minister said the government plans to present a digitalisation strategy focused on easier-to-use mobile public services and greater use of automation and AI.

He also described Hungary’s participation in the EU’s AI Gigafactory initiative: an initial EUR 25 million contribution, followed by a planned EUR 100 million investment in a large computing facility. The programme is expected to take years, with construction potentially extending to around 2029.

Separately, the government wants to complete a neglected domestic supercomputer project and prepare infrastructure for risks to current encryption posed by quantum computing.

Budget and fiscal outlook

Tanács sharply criticized what he described as wasteful spending and distorted priorities under the previous government, citing costly furnishings and other expenditure while essential public services struggled to secure funding.

He said the government was trying to bring the projected year-end deficit down from a potential 8.3% to around 7.5%, while increasing the effectiveness of IT spending. He praised Finance Minister András Kármán’s approach to budget negotiations and said the government was weighing competing sectoral needs rather than applying uniform cuts.

Presenters and contributors

• Zoltán Tanács — Minister for Science and Technology; interview guest
• Interviewer — Name not identified in the subtitles