Friends of Orban

Mészáros children win school reconstruction projects with overpriced offers

The company owned by the children of oligarch Lőrinc Mészáros was contracted to deliver two major infrastructure projects in the town of Érd. The projects were initially valued at 8,1 billion HUF (approximately 25,7 million EUR at today’s exchange rate), but Fejér-B.Á.L. Zrt. won the public tender with offers totaling 11,4 billion HUF (36,2 million EUR). The school construction projects are financed by taxpayer money.

The reconstruction and expansion of the Batthyány Primary Sports School, as well as the planning and construction of a new public education complex (primary school, sports hall and swimming pool) in Érd will be done by Fejér-B.Á.L. Zrt. The fact that the Mészáros children won the valuable public tender was published in the official EU public tenders journal.

The primary school that specializes in sports education will be reconstructed in several phases. At the end of the construction works, the school will be expanded and have 16 primary and 8 secondary school classrooms. There will also be gyms on the premises that will be suitable for the training of the local wrestling team and will be able to host wrestling competitions as well.

The cost of this reconstruction project was initially estimated to be 3,79 billion HUF (12 million EUR), but Fejér-B.Á.L. Zrt. contracted the project for 5,44 billion HUF (approximately 17 million EUR).

The other construction job will cost more than expected, too. Érd is building a new school complex that includes a primary school, an athletics hall and swimming pool. The cost of the complex was estimated to be 4,1 billion HUF (approximately 13 million EUR).

However, the company owned by Mészáros children was awarded the contract despite their bid of 6 billion HUF (approximately 19 million EUR).

Fejér-B.Á.L. is employing several subcontractors to do all kinds of important work: demolition, ground works, building the structural foundation and the steel structures.

The EU public tenders journal also states that the project is financed by the Hungarian government via the Modern Cities program.

Átlátszó has already reported that Fejér-B.Á.L, a company founded in 2015 by Ágnes Mészáros, Beatrix Mészáros and Lőrinc Mészáros Jr., succeeded to have 1,1 billion HUF (3,4 million EUR) price income and a net income of 65,3 million HUF (206,000 EUR) in the first year of the existence of the company. In 2018, the company made more than 1 million HUF (3300 EUR) profit every day.

The next generation of pro-Orban oligarchs: the Mészáros kids are making 3300 euros a day winning public tenders

Lőrinc Mészáros has become a legendary figure of Hungarian political life. The former mayor of Viktor Orban’s home village became the second wealthiest man in the country only in a few years. The former gas pipe fitter says that his talent and hard work pay off.

Written by Brigitta Csikász

English version by Zoltán Sipos. You can read the original, Hungarian language story here.

Cover image MTI/ Szilárd Koszticsák



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