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drew from a working capital loan agree- ment in 2008 during the global financial crisis. The then Socialist-led government stepped in to extend a lifeline to save Nitrogenmuvek from bankruptcy.
In 2013 Csanyi also outbid Bige to buy KITE, one of the largest providers of agricultural services to farmers in Hungary. A private businessman, financed by OTP, gained ownership in the company before it was bought out by Csanyi.
OTP’s leader would not comment on press reports about his feud with Bige.
Over the past two years, Nitrogenmuvek has been targeted by the prosecutor's office, police, disaster management office, the competition watchdog and the tax office. In 2019 its chemical
plant in Szolnok was forced to suspend operations for alleged violation of
waste management rules and Bige was detained for two days. The courts later ruled that the closure was unlawful.
Everyone is lined up against me, he said in the interview. "They have been tapping my phone for more than 10 years, they are following my every move."
Bige claims that he has received messages from the highest government circles that he could walk away, but if he doesn’t, he could get locked up. "I did not take that seriously", he adds.
Bige claims that coordinated attacks by authorities only serve one goal, which is to help Orban’s cronies to get hold of his business at a knock-down price.
Bige recently made headlines when he financed a poll about the chance of opposition parties in the 2022
parliamentary election. The results confirmed previous results that a united opposition stands a clear chance of winning against Fidesz. This has raised speculation over whether he would be willing to act as a financier to opposition parties, similarly to the way former Fidesz treasurer Simicska started to back the rightwing opposition Jobbik party.
The businessman is sure that the prime minister has already made a decision in his case. "It was quite a clear message from them", he says, referring to his detention.
But Bige believes that his carrier is not doomed should Fidesz remain in power next year and he is not ready to quit just yet.
"I have quite a few tools in my hands if
I really need to, I have information and documents which I’m not afraid to make public if I really have to," he says.
UEFA's 'unfair' punishment of Czech football player raises furore among fans and politicians
bne IntelliNews
UEFA's decision to punish Slavia Praha defender Ondrej Kudela for allegedly using racist language with a worse match ban than two Glasgow Rangers players condemned
for violent behaviour has stirred heated emotions among Czech fans and politicians.
But it has also demonstrated the wide gulf that exists between attitudes towards racist behaviour in Western Europe compared to the newer member states in Central and Southeastern Europe. Racist chanting at Czech football games is still common, and rampant racist online abuse is shrugged off as 'free speech'.
The bans, announced by UEFA on April 15, follow a torrid Europa League game in Glasgow between Scottish champions Rangers and Czech champions Slavia on March 18, during which two Rangers
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players were sent off, and there was an altercation between Kudela and Glasgow Rangers player Glen Kamara on the pitch and in the tunnel afterwards. Slavia
won 2-0 and progressed to the quarter finals, where they were knocked out by London's Arsenal on April 15.
In the key incident, Kudela approached Kamara and covered his mouth with his hand so he could not be lip read by the TV cameras. He admits swearing but denies calling Kamara a "fucking monkey".
His words immediately caused outrage from the surrounding Rangers players and appear to have provoked Kamara to attack him in the tunnel after the game.
While Kudela was punished for allegedly making a racist insult to Kamara with
a ban of 10 UEFA games, Kamara only received a three match ban for attacking Kudela in the tunnel. And his Rangers teammate Kemar Roofe was banned for
just four matches after being given a red card for a a high-boot challenge on Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar, who ended with a fractured skull.
Czech politicians and media focussed on the fact that Kudela denied the offence, and that UEFA punished him far more severely than the violent Rangers players.
"Next time, don't whisper anything into his ear but just punch him right away, for four games," said the controversial mayor of Reporyje Pavel Novotny (from the rightwing Civic Democrats) about the logic of UEFA's decision.
“Verdicts like the one today make people racists. Fractured skull: 4 games, attack a rival with fists: 3 games. Alleged racist insult: 10 games. UEFA should think better of it. Due to such decisions, brownish [fascist] parties are thriving in Europe,” said Pirate MP Mikulas Ferjencik.