Former president’s foundation to spend €17 million on a sustainability mega-event

János Áder’s organization, the Blue Planet Foundation, will spend a net seven billion forints (17.5 million Euros) on next year’s grandiose event. At the end of February 2026, the Planet Budapest Innovative Sustainability Exhibition and Experience Program will welcome visitors for a month at the Railway History Park for the third time. The cost of the event has also changed: while net 4.5 billion forints (11.26 million Euros) were spent on the exhibition in 2023, the amount has skyrocketed to this year.

In March, the Blue Planet Climate Protection Foundation, headed by former President of Hungary János Áder, launched a public procurement procedure for the comprehensive planning, organization, and execution tasks of Planet 2026. The result of the tender has now been published in the EU public procurement bulletin. The winner—perhaps surprisingly—was not the previous organizer, Visual Europe Plc., but Unger Zsolt Graphic and Service Ltd. The company won with a net bid equivalent to 17 million Euros.

Unlike previous events, next years’ event will not be organized by a company of Gyula Balásy. Balásy’s companies are best known as the main suppliers of the Orbán government’s propaganda factory, notably producing the propaganda posters that have become ubiquiotous in Hungary. This time however, the winning bid was submitted by the lesser known Unger Zsolt Graphic and Service Ltd. (Unger Zsolt Grafikai és Szolgáltató Kft.).

Balásy’s company submitted a losing offer of 20.773 million Euros. Beyond these two companies, no others applied for the contract, which is unsurprising considering that the eligibility criteria included a minimum revenue of 5 billion Euros and experience in comprehensive creative, planning and coordination services for an event with at least 25,000 participants, covering a minimum area of 3,000 square meters, and featuring exhibition elements made entirely of flame-retardant, recycled and recyclable cardboard constructed with unique technology, on a sustainability theme.

According to the description,

“the aim of the program series is to present and teach information and developments related to sustainability and climate protection at multiple levels, to various visitor age groups as well as business actors, using the latest analogue and digital exhibition methods and technologies in a closed exhibition area with at least 10,000 square meters of usable, contiguous space.”

The company’s task will be the

“complete conceptual planning and technical implementation of the event, which is expected to attract 80,000–100,000 visitors, divided into three sub-events (Expo, public program, youth experience program), in a closed exhibition area with at least 10,000 square meters of usable, contiguous space, for a minimum duration of 30 days. The winning bidder will also be responsible for all communication-related tasks.”

For the Planet event series two years ago, in 2023, Gyula Balásy’s company Visual Europe Production Ltd. was commissioned to organize it for a net 8.1 million Euros, while advertising design and organization services were provided by the current winner, Unger Zsolt Graphic and Service Ltd., along with Clair & Curtis Communication Ltd., for a net 2.9 million Euros. The organization of the business exhibitor services cost an additional net 375,000 Euros.

The Planet Budapest 2021 Sustainability Expo and Summit, which was boosted by 3,75 million Euros in state funding, was also put on by Lounge Group and Visual Europe Group.

A foundation boosted by public funds

Former President János Áder announced at the end of 2017 that he had established a climate protection foundation. The starting capital of this organization was a meager 213,000 Euros.

Originally, the money did not come from public funds.

It was bequeathed to the President of Hungary (regardless of who fills this position) by a deceased Hungarian expat, with the stipulation that it be used for the benefit of the Hungarian people.

According to its founding charter, the goal of the Blue Planet Climate Protection Foundation is “to increase the Hungarian society’s sensitivity to environmental and sustainability issues and to involve local communities in solving these problems. To foster a sense of personal environmental responsibility and a commitment to action against climate change.”

To achieve its goals, the Foundation continuously receives state support. In 2019, it received approximately 3.75 million Euros in funding from the Prime Minister’s Office; in 2020, it received about 3.38 million Euros , followed by 3.73 million Euros . In 2023, it was allocated around 20.27 million Euros in subsidies from the central budget, and last year, 3.23 million Euros.

According to the foundation’s financial report, in 2024, it received funding exclusively from the state – no money was recorded under membership fees, other donations, or founder contributions. The only other income was from 1% personal income tax designations, totalling 258 Euros, the same amount as in 2023. Meanwhile, personnel expenses amounted to 1.561 million Euros last year.