Former ambassador’s partner kept diplomatic passport and claimed millions in expenses

The Geneva-based partner of Hungary’s former ambassador to Switzerland continued to hold a diplomatic passport for nearly six years after the ambassador left his post, while also receiving millions of forints in expenses from a state-funded foundation chaired by her partner, an investigation by Átlátszó has found.

Zsuzsanna Chaillet, also known by her maiden name Zsuzsanna Mizerák, held a Hungarian diplomatic passport until June 17, 2026. Her partner, István Nagy, served as Hungary’s ambassador to Switzerland until November 2020 and remained accredited to Liechtenstein until February 2021.

According to Hungary’s Foreign Ministry, Chaillet/Mizerák was never employed by the ministry. Her only officially acknowledged connection to the Hungarian diplomatic service was her relationship with Nagy. Nevertheless, the ministry said the passport had been authorised by then foreign minister Péter Szijjártó under his discretionary powers.

The legislation cited by the ministry allows diplomatic passports to be issued to people travelling abroad on a specific diplomatic mission or, in exceptional circumstances, with ministerial approval. Such documents are normally supposed to be valid only for the duration of the relevant journey. The ministry did not explain what diplomatic duties Chaillet/Mizerák had performed or why her passport remained valid for years after Nagy’s ambassadorial appointment ended.

Expenses approved by her partner

Chaillet/Mizerák also served between 2017 and June 2020 as a trustee of the Otto von Habsburg Foundation, an organisation established by the Hungarian government and based in Budapest’s Buda Castle.

Nagy, who has longstanding connections to the Habsburg family and has repeatedly been photographed with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Switzerland, serves as the foundation’s chairman.

Documents obtained through freedom-of-information requests show that Chaillet/Mizerák claimed approximately HUF 3.4 million in expenses during her two-and-a-half years on the foundation’s board. Every recorded claim was approved by Nagy, her partner and the foundation’s chairman.

Between 2017 and 2026, the foundation reimbursed its trustees a total of approximately HUF 13.3 million in expenses. Nagy and Chaillet/Mizerák accounted for more than HUF 10 million of that amount, largely for flights between Geneva and Budapest.

Foundation director Gergely Prőhle said the journeys were connected to board meetings and official foundation business. He also said the foundation’s rules permitted trustees to recover justified expenses supported by invoices and did not require them to file conflict-of-interest declarations.

While Nagy was eventually prevented from approving his own expenses, he continued to authorise those submitted by his partner until shortly before her mandate expired.

Billions in public funding

The Otto von Habsburg Foundation has received at least HUF 3.6 billion in state funding since 2019, according to grant documents reviewed by Átlátszó. Its annual government subsidy increased from at least HUF 300 million in earlier years to HUF 580 million in 2026.

Personnel-related expenditure amounted to more than HUF 2 billion between 2019 and 2026. Payments associated with the seven-member board totalled HUF 234.5 million over five years, although complete figures were unavailable for 2019 and 2020.

Trustees currently receive monthly honorariums of HUF 450,000 in addition to expenses. Three board members who also sit on a committee controlling researchers’ access to the Habsburg archive receive a further HUF 1.2 million each per year.

The Hungarian foundation also pays an annual fee of €100,000 to the Liechtenstein-based Otto von Habsburg Stiftung for access to documents held in its archive.

Tax authority examining payments

The National Tax and Customs Administration, or NAV, recently began examining the foundation’s operations and financial payments following a public-interest complaint, according to information obtained by Átlátszó. The case was forwarded to NAV’s Central Hungarian Criminal Directorate in July 2026. The Prime Minister’s Office is also reportedly reviewing the foundation’s activities.

Chaillet/Mizerák has maintained other links to Hungarian state institutions. She organised exhibitions at the Hungarian National Museum with costs covered by ministries or the state-run National Cultural Fund, and since 2022 she has served as a paid trustee of Hungary’s Holocaust Documentation Center and Memorial Collection Public Foundation.

Átlátszó asked her to explain what diplomatic mission justified her passport, how she had used it and whether she considered it ethical for her partner to approve her expenses. She did not respond before publication.

Written by Zsuzsa Zimre, translated using artificial intelligence. The original Hungarian version of the story is here.