FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Bloomberg has revealed how 4iG received a $4.3 billion contract shortly before Orban was overthrown. On the other hand, the new government of Peter Magyar warns of investigations and audits of 4iG, the Hungarian group that controls One Albania...
An investigation published by Bloomberg has shed light on one of the largest and most controversial deals of the Viktor Orban era in Hungary, putting the spotlight on the company 4iG, the group that also owns "One Albania".
According to Bloomberg, Orban's government had secretly signed a giant contract worth 1.3 trillion forints, or about $4.3 billion, with 4iG just weeks before losing power.
The agreement, which reportedly extends until 2035, is related to the digital modernization of the Hungarian military command and is considered one of the largest public procurements in the country's history.
The scandal has taken on political proportions after the coming to power of new Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who has announced a review of contracts signed during Orban's 16 years of rule, an audit of public finances, and the declassification of secret agreements.
At the center of this storm is 4iG, the company that in recent years has become one of Hungary's most powerful economic empires, with expansion into telecommunications, defense, and digital infrastructure.
But developments in Budapest could have direct consequences in Albania as well.
4iG is the parent company of “One Albania”, one of the main operators in the Albanian mobile market. Financial data shows that the Albanian company has a significant dependence on the financing of the Hungarian group.
According to the 2024 balance sheet, "One Albania" turns out to have around 9.1 billion lek, or over 96 million euros in loans received from the parent group 4iG.
This means that any financial or political blow to 4iG in Hungary could create ripple effects on the group's activity in Albania.
The risk for 4iG is related not only to the contract revealed by Bloomberg, but also to the way the company expanded during the Orban years.
Last year, the European Commission launched a package worth hundreds of billions of euros to support the European defense industry. Hungary applied for around 16 billion euros in funding.
But in parallel with this process, a significant part of the Hungarian defense industry came under the control of 4iG through procedures that, according to Hungarian media, are already being mentioned as the subject of corruption investigations.
According to reports in Hungary, 4iG was expected to be one of the main beneficiaries of these funds.
Meanwhile, just a few days ago, 4iG's main shareholder, businessman Gellért Jászai, held meetings in Tirana and Podgorica to expand the group's investments in the Balkans.
In Albania, he met with Prime Minister Edi Rama, while according to the company's own statements, the focus was on the expansion of "One Albania", investments in "Data Centers" and the strategic project "2EAGLE", the submarine cable that aims to connect Egypt with Albania and then with Europe.
4iG's movements in the Balkans are being interpreted as attempts to shift influence and strategic assets outside of Hungary, at a time when the new government of Peter Magyar has warned of a blow to the economic model established during the Orban era.
If audits and investigations in Hungary affect 4iG's contracts and finances, the consequences could also be felt in Albania, through the influence the Hungarian group has over "One Albania" and the strategic telecommunications sector. / Pamphlet
Epo kështu e paskan punët e pista,të tjerët strehohen në vëndin tonë,ndërsa Rama do strehohet atje ku ka dalë.