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.

Originally part of Nieman Report’s “Dear America” series of essays that appeared November 26, 2024, we published the Hungarian version of our founder and editor András Pethő’s article on Hungarian Press Freedom Day, 2025.

The prize was founded in memory of Hungarian journalist László Szente, who died in 2022, by his former colleagues, Katalin Rangos and Sándor Friderikusz.

(Magyar) Panyi Szabolcs és Pethő András kapta a rangos elismerést a hírszerzés ellentmondásos műveleteiről és egy titkosszolgálati razziáról szóló cikkükért.

Direkt36 uncovered another story about the operations of a state company that secretly financed several important projects of the Orbán government. Internal documents reveal in great detail how nearly 7 billion forints got stuck in the failed bank of György Matolcsy’s cousin.

(Magyar) A nemrég elfogadott szuverenitásvédelmi törvényre hivatkozva indult propagandisztikus támadás az Átlátszó ellen épp a sajtószabadság ünnepéhez közeledve.

Although encouraging prostitution is a criminal offence In Hungary, the authorities say there is nothing wrong with openly advertising foreign sex work to Hungarian women. Direkt36 looked behind the sex work advertisements as part of an international investigative project.