Hungary’s incoming minister for science and technology, Zoltán Tanács, has pledged to build a strong, sovereign and service-oriented government IT system, centred on efficiency, transparency and modern governance principles.
In a statement published on social media, Tanács said the future model would focus on establishing unified IT standards and a coherent governance framework, rather than limiting market competition or enabling misuse of public funds. He stressed that the role of the centre should be to define architecture, oversee infrastructure and ensure consistent operational processes.
According to Tanács, certain elements must remain centrally managed, including core IT architecture, infrastructure operations, widely used software licensing and the overall governance model. At the same time, he argued that sector-specific institutions should retain significant autonomy in designing and implementing their own digital solutions.
‘The system must leave room for flexibility at the edges,’ he said, noting that individual sectors best understand their own operational needs. He added that excessive centralization and large-scale procurement processes often lead to limited competition, with the same companies repeatedly winning contracts.
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Tanács said Hungary already has a strong base of IT professionals within the public sector, many of whom continue to work under challenging conditions out of commitment. One of the government’s goals, he added, is to make public-sector IT careers more attractive again, noting growing interest from highly qualified professionals, including experts working abroad.
‘One of the government’s goals is to make public-sector IT careers more attractive again’
The incoming minister also delivered a sharp critique of previous practices, arguing that government IT and digitization had been marked by inefficiencies and systemic issues. He cited unfavourable contracts, overpriced systems, vendor lock-in in critical services and projects that failed to deliver despite significant public spending.
Among the examples mentioned were costly developments that remain non-functional, as well as procurement processes that allegedly concentrated resources among a small number of preferred companies.
Tanács said the new government intends to address these issues by creating a sustainable, cost-effective and secure IT architecture that can adapt to future developments. He emphasized that digitization should serve as a driver of national progress rather than a source of financial leakage.
The proposed reforms aim to modernize Hungary’s digital state infrastructure while restoring trust in public IT systems and ensuring better use of public resources.
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Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.
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