Architectural visualisation of the new military hospital in Prešov. (source: Korzár)
A high-profile public tender to build a new military hospital in eastern Slovakia has been awarded to a consortium that includes Hungarian firms tied to allies of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – a leader widely admired by Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico – despite the group’s bid exceeding the government’s original estimate by more than €100 million, according to Denník N.
The project, based in the city of Prešov, is one of Slovakia’s largest state-funded construction efforts in years. Yet from the start, it has been marked by unusual political manoeuvring and opaque decision-making.
Last year, Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák, a close associate of Prime Minister Robert Fico, wrested control of the hospital project from the Health Ministry, arguing it would be better managed under the defence portfolio. By classifying the hospital as a strategic investment, the government enabled an expedited approval process and authorised land expropriations, bypassing several standard oversight mechanisms.
This month, the Central Military Hospital in Ružomberok – acting as the contracting authority – awarded the tender to a trio of firms: Slovak construction company Bekor, and two Hungarian contractors, Confector and West Hungária Bau.
Orbán allies
The latter is controlled by Attila Paár, a billionaire and longtime beneficiary of public contracts in Orbán’s Hungary. Paár is a former business partner of István Tiborcz, Orbán’s son-in-law, and his companies have overseen major renovations to Budapest’s government district and the Hungaroring race circuit. In 2024, Forbes listed him among Hungary’s 20 richest individuals, with an estimated fortune of €280 million.
Confector, led by Sándor Holman, rose to prominence after being awarded the renovation of the Carmelite Monastery in Buda, which now houses Orbán’s official offices. The €36 million contract was widely seen as a political favour, and the company has since landed further state-funded work.
Bekor, the Slovak partner, is owned by businessman Alexander Gyurkovics. One of his other companies, AVA-stav, previously lost a contract to expand a football stadium in Košice after allegedly inflating the cost by €1 million. Nonetheless, AVA-stav continues to win state business, including a €24 million deal this year at a military facility in Ružomberok.
€540 million hospital deal
The total value of the winning bid is €450 million before tax – around €540 million including VAT – well above the government’s initial projection of €430 million including VAT. Kaliňák’s ministry had at one point cited an even higher figure, €550 million, though it remains unclear whether that referred to the full scope of the project or only a portion.
Documents show that the tender covers just the first phase of construction. The full hospital is to include two construction stages as well as the procurement of medical equipment, suggesting the final bill could significantly exceed half a billion euros.
Only one other bidder participated in the tender: a group called “Nemocnica Prešov” (Prešov Hospital). Its ownership structure remains unclear. It is registered at the headquarters of a company in the town of Šaľa, controlled by a local architect, but no further details about the consortium’s backers have been made public.
The hospital is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and will include nearly 1,000 beds. While part of the facility will serve the armed forces, it is primarily intended for civilian use.
