The French politician used a Russian loan for her 2017 campaign, leading to a sizeable scandal in France.Continue reading
Rosatom Central Europe Kft., the Hungarian subsidiary of Russia’s Rosatom which is in charge of building Paks 2, opened an account at MKB Bank Ltd., which is partly owned by the Prime Minister’s fast-emerging childhood friend Lőrinc Mészáros, 444.hu reports in reference to information found in public databases.
The liberal portal notes that Rosatom’s regional headquarters moved to Budapest in early 2020, and Sberbank, similarly with a Russian background, became its account manager.
However, due to the sanctions imposed in reaction to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Sberbank Hungary entered into a serious solvency and capital position, resulting in the Hungarian central bank’s decision to revoke its operating license and order its liquidation on March 1st, eventually forcing many companies to look for a new financial institution.
Rosatom Central Europe apparently chose Lőrinc Mészáros’s MKB.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian-Russian Paks upgrade project’s future is in doubt. While the project is criticized by many, including virtually everyone in the opposition, according to recent press reports the Russians might also be considering pulling out of the project.
featured image: Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev. Photo by Tamás Sóki/MTI