Middlemen raked in billions of forints from Szijjártó’s Covid ventilator deals (Day 170 of the Tisza government)

More than a year ago, we launched our Hungary Briefing series, a weekly roundup of news from Hungary’s election campaign. The series continues, covering developments following the historic election and the actions of the Tisza government. This week’s topics: The great Covid scam. Former minister kept €25m in cash at home. Closer ties with the Czech Republic. Mixed results for the revolution’s anniversary commemorations. Poll of the week: Tisza supporters lean liberal. The Covid scam Shortly after the Covid pandemic broke out in the spring of 2020, the Orbán government purchased almost 17,000 ventilators for 300 billion forints, equivalent to…