Zoltán Fekete-Szalóky

Zoltán Fekete-Szalóky became a central figure in Index's transformation following the oligarchic capture of Hungary's most-read news portal. He openly acknowledged that Lőrinc Mészáros — the billionaire oligarch closest to Viktor Orbán — is among the financial backers of Index, while continuing to present the outlet as an independent voice. His tenure has been marked by fawning, PR-style interviews with regime-aligned businessmen, most notoriously a piece with László Szíjj that media analysts described as a case study in sycophantic journalism. The result is a portal that retains the reach and brand credibility of a legacy independent outlet while increasingly embedding propagandistic content — a model far more effective than overtly state-run media.