Orban Government, OTP Join Forces to Restore Iconic Godollo Palace + Video

The Grassalkovich Palace in Godollo is being renovated at a cost of 40 billion forints (approx. €102 million), with the development being financed by the government and OTP Bank Group. At the announcement, Prime Minister Viktor Orban emphasized that the Hungarian nation can only be worthy of its own history if it preserves the past.

Sandor Csanyi, CEO of OTP Bank Group and Viktor Orban, Prime minister of Hungary in Godollo

According to Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar, the Hungarian government and OTP Bank will jointly rebuild the Godollo Palace, marking what he called a historic day.

az OTP is offering 20 billion forints (€51 million) for the restoration of the building, and the government will contribute another 20 billion forints, Lazar announced.

Sandor Csanyi said it was an honor to take part in this joint effort, noting that it was “sad to see part of the palace falling into decay — about 6,000 square meters".

So when Minister Lazar approached me about 'adopting' the palace, I gladly agreed, and we reached an agreement on cooperation,

he said, adding that the palace will be renovated with a focus on sustainability and self-sufficiency.

PM Orban: If We Had to Start Over, 40 Billion Wouldn’t Be Enough

Prime Minister Viktor Orban first thanked everyone who had contributed to maintaining the palace, remarking: “If we had to start from scratch, 40 billion forints wouldn’t be enough — that shows how significant your contribution is.”

He reflected on Lazar’s historical perspective, saying Hungarians look back with admiration at the 19th century, when many strong and wealthy people donated for the good of the nation — and the government also strives to live up to that legacy. The Prime Minister recalled the achievements of the government over the past 15 years in this area, mentioning several historic buildings.

PM Viktor Orban at the Grassalkovich Palace in Godollo (Photo: Arpad Kurucz)

PM Orban also noted that the 20th century was not kind to Hungary’s castles, but in recent years the government has restored many historic estates and church buildings. Local governments, he said, have jointly contributed 66 billion forints (over €168 million) from their own resources to protect Hungary’s built heritage.

The current project includes both the palace and its surrounding park, which, he said, “will hopefully soon look just as it did in Sisi’s time.”

“The Hungarian nation can only be worthy of its history if it preserves its past,” Mr. Orban emphasized. He added that the renovations are not only in line with the Hungarian government's intentions, but also with the interests of the people. 

He pointed out that Hungarian castles and fortresses attracted 2.5 million visitors last year, generating 2.5 billion forints (approx. €6.4 million) in revenue — proof that such investments make sense both culturally and economically.

“Everyone has ideas on how to spend 40 billion forints,” he said, “but this is not just heritage preservation — it’s a meaningful business investment.”

PM Orban noted that

Godollo’s location near Budapest and its university of agricultural sciences, one of Hungary’s top institutions, give it excellent development potential. We tried to make the most of these advantages — and I believe we have,

he said.

“We are not starting from zero. Some wings of the palace had already been restored in 2011, for Hungary’s EU presidency, when the European Council also held meetings there. Now we don’t just want to show ourselves to Europe — we want to claim the place that rightfully belongs to us,” he remarked, adding that “Brussels also knows what place that is.”

We can only support Brussels’ ambitions as long as they do not conflict with our sovereignty,

Orban said firmly. He observed that Europe has changed dramatically since 2011 — “Back then, it was a hopeful place on a track of growth. Today, there is war instead of peace, and stagnation instead of growth. The political situation in Europe is far worse than it was in 2011. Hungary’s interest is to preserve peace for Hungarians and to ensure that Hungarian money stays here, not sent to Ukraine,” he stressed.

Viktor Orban concluded that the renovation project will last nine years, and that the funds invested will benefit not only the palace but also the local Godollo community.

Earlier, Minister Janos Lazar had hinted on social media that  

an extraordinary announcement was to come from the Prime Minister

— which Viktor Orban himself later confirmed in a post.

További játékainkhoz kattintson ide!