Széchenyi family launches battle for its name

The Count Elemér Széchenyi Sárvár-Felsővidék Foundation has issued a statement noting that it has been attempting to resolve the legal framework for the use of the Széchenyi name through negotiations for more than thirteen years, but these efforts have proven unsuccessful. Therefore, the foundation has decided to take official action on the matter. “The goal is clear: one of the nation’s most important historical legacies cannot continue to be used without a properly regulated legal framework, without consulting the family, and without compliance to fair market rules,” they wrote. According to the foundation, the designation “SZÉCHENYI” has been a trademark since 2015. It is under the protection of the Count Széchenyi Family Foundation in Hungary and is registered with the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office.

The Széchenyi family is one of the best known Hungarian noble families. Several of its members have greatly influenced the country’s development in past centuries. Ferenc Széchenyi founded the Hungarian National Library and the National Museum in Budapest, while his son, István Széchényi is considered one of the greatest statesmen in Hungary’s history and is to this day referred to as “the Greatest Hungarian”. The reformer politician and writer played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the construction of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge between Pest and Buda, among others.

The Széchenyi family’s foundation recalls that in recent decades, the name has been used by state-funded economic development and loan programs, as well as investment funds, but the framework governing the use of the Széchenyi name has not been respected. Examples of such programs include Széchenyi 2020, through which local governments could receive grants, and the Széchenyi Terv Plusz, which provided subsidies to businesses for the purchase of electric vehicles. “We have seen major economic players, as well as the outgoing government and institutions loosely or closely linked to it regard the use of the name as a kind of automatic right.”

According to the foundation, the current situation also threatens the accountability of EU funds, since the marketing and communication campaigns for the economic development and loan programs bearing the name “Széchenyi” are largely financed by European Union funds. According to their position, the fact that the communication for a program funded by EU resources is conducted without properly regulated intellectual property rights, thereby infringing on such rights, could lead to serious anomalies in accountability.

The Foundation emphasizes that it has no objections to programs supporting Hungarian businesses; however, it will take firm action against anyone using the name “Széchenyi” while circumventing the legal regulations. “The Foundation is convinced that the fate of the name Széchenyi is a matter of public interest, and in an era where restoring public trust is more important than anything else, the responsible stewardship of our historical heritage should begin with lawful operations.”