When website 24 requested the data as part of a public interest inquiry, the ministry deflected the query with vague statements about SMEs and directed the reporter to a 3,000-page document instead of answering directly.

After the website cited several court rulings affirming that public bodies must provide clear, accessible data, rather than burying it in massive documents or on websites, the ministry finally released the figures.

According to the official response, 407 pubs received funding under the programme.

Of these, 393 received the maximum Ft 3 million each, amounting to nearly Ft 1.2 billion in total grants.

The programme, launched in March, was introduced with the slogan that “small pubs are always the soul of the village.”

Grants could be used broadly, including on marketing, social media, and attracting younger patrons.

Originally limited to villages with fewer than 1,000 residents, the programme has since expanded to include settlements of up to 2,000 people and even newly founded businesses, raising concerns about fairness.

Despite the initiative, Fidesz continues to lose political support in rural areas, and many small towns say they were left out of the programme entirely.
 

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