‘Grand Budapest’ Turns to Grand Chaos – QUICK TAKE

Orbán’s UAE-backed ‘mini Dubai’ just hit a wall – courtesy of Budapest’s City Council

30 January 2025

The ‘Grand Budapest’ project was meant to be another unchecked Fidesz-backed mega-development, but it has spiralled into a political standoff. After months of manoeuvring, the city asserted its right to pre-emption, throwing the 5-billion-euro deal into chaos and fuelling opposition backlash.

The City of Budapest is reclaiming land that the national government sold to Emirati developers – a protracted battle which has triggered a major political and legal showdown over who really controls the capital’s future.

While Budapest may see its purchase of the land as a victory, the saga is far from over. The government is expected to challenge the sale in court, using contractual loopholes to block the city’s move.

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Luca Soltesz

Luca is from Hungary, but has lived in Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands before returning to her home country. She just finished Political Science in Amsterdam, where her thesis focused on party politics and party funding. She is interested in regional politics, and is writing about Hungary and the Western Balkans at Visegrad Insight.

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