The Roots and Wings Foundation has launched the Future Fund: a long-term funding mechanism designed to strengthen community-rooted civic actors in Hungary.

The 2026 parliamentary elections marked a major political turning point in Hungary after sixteen years of increasingly centralised governance under Viktor Orbán’s government. While this political transition has opened new possibilities, the more important question is what kind of society will emerge beneath the institutional changes.

Over the past decade and a half, not only have independent institutions weakened, but also many of the conditions that democratic culture depends on. Public trust declined, local initiative became more fragile, and participation in public life narrowed. During successive crises — including the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis — meaningful responses often emerged through local civic action rather than formal systems alone.

The elections also showed that civic initiative and willingness to participate still exist across Hungarian society. Many people experienced again what it means to organise locally, cooperate with others, and take part in public life. But political change by itself cannot rebuild the habits, relationships, and confidence that democratic life requires.

The Future Fund responds to this reality.

Its purpose is not only to help civic actors survive difficult periods, but to strengthen the local civic infrastructures that allow communities and organisations to remain present and capable of acting over time.

The Fund introduces longer time horizons and flexible core support into Hungarian civic infrastructure financing.