Substantial Pay Raise for Close Friend of Orbán Ráhel at the Hungarian Fashion and Design Agency
Sofia Jakab, Director-General of the Hungarian Fashion and Design Agency (HFDA), has seen her salary increase to two million forints as she oversees the state-run enterprise she leads, with an additional compensation of 1.5 million forints for her role as a government commissioner.
In March, Sofia Jakab, in celebration of five years at the helm of the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA), was granted a pay raise of 500,000 forints, bringing her gross monthly earnings to two million forints. Her cafeteria benefits also saw a boost from 32,000 forints a month to 42,000 forints, according to company disclosures.
With the establishment of the Ministry of National Economy (MNE) in January this year, its portfolio has expanded to include various sectors, including tourism, thus transitioning the ownership rights of the HFDA to Marton Nagy's department. In February, the minister appointed Jakab as the commissioner responsible for the development and sectoral coordination of the creative industries. According to a Freedom of Information request by 24.hu responded by the MNE,
Sofia Jakab receives a monthly payment of one and a half million forints for her commissioner duties, making Ráhel Orbán's friend's total monthly income from the state 3.5 million forints.
The ministry did not specify which sectors fall under the vague term "creative industries" despite inquiries but referred to the official appointment directive. According to this directive, Jakab's responsibilities include attracting international creative industry enterprises to Hungary, supporting the international success of domestic creative sectors, and enhancing their competitiveness, though the directive does not further define the term "creative industries."
A ten-year creative industry strategy prepared in 2020 by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, led by László Palkovics, listed numerous sectors under the creative industry umbrella, from software and video game development to film, literature, and online media. According to Index, Jakab stated in a background discussion that international schools have various definitions of the creative industries, but she identified fashion and design as the two main areas under her directive.
During this discussion, Jakab also shared details about her friendship with Ráhel Orbán:
"We are friends, but I think that’s no news to anyone. Our friendship goes back nearly 20 years; we met in high school and attended the same university. The Corvinus University of Budapest ensures a valuable degree for its graduates, providing a guarantee to employers as well. It’s no coincidence that many of my former classmates or schoolmates hold significant positions in both the private and public sectors."
According to the directive from Marton Nagy's ministry, Jakab's ministerial commissioner duties also include the professional coordination of the HFDA. This means the ministry expects her to also pave the way for the company she directs as CEO.
Until December last year, Sofia Jakab also served as the Deputy Director-General for marketing and communications at the Hungarian Tourism Agency (HTA), receiving a salary of 2.5 million forints. However, she did not retain this position following her appointment as ministerial commissioner. At the time, she earned more than this year, with her deputy director-general's salary complementing her then 1.5 million forints director-general salary at the fashion agency reaching a total monthly compensation of 4 million forints, placing her among the highest-earning state company executives. Jakab has not entirely left HTA but no longer receives an honorarium as a board member.
The HFDA's disclosure list revealed that Anita Forintos-Szűcs no longer holds the position of Deputy Director-General at the company. In February, an unusual situation similar to that at the HTA occurred at the fashion agency, where the deputy director-general's salary was higher than that of the director-general; then, Forintos-Szűcs earned a gross salary of two million forints, while Sofia Jakab earned 1.5 million forints a month. According to Opten, Anita Forintos-Szűcs left the general deputy director-general position on January 15, though she spoke as the leader of the MDDÜ at the Budapest Central European Fashion Week in February.
We asked the HFDA about the reasons behind Sofia Jakab's generous salary increase of 500,000 forints and also inquired about the reasons for Forintos-Szűcs’s departure, but we did not receive a response before the publication of this article.
Translation:
Translated by AI
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