Is there a financier behind szubkontra?
Szubkontra is not backed by investors or sponsors. It can only survive if its audience sustains it.
How can I contribute to Szubkontra Community Support?
You can support Szubkontra by Donably with a one-off or regular contribution. There is also the option to support on YouTube, with a super-gift under videos that you really like, or with a monthly channel subscription. Another way to support us is to buy the book Viktor Orbán’s Affairs with Women.
What does Szubkontra even mean?
Szubkontra is one of the elements of the betting course in the popular Hungarian card game ulti. It is meant to symbolise the fact that Szubkontra goes beyond the usual public trench-discourse and searches for explanations in the depths of phenomena.
Who is the host of Szubkontra?
Szubkontra was created and brought to life by journalist Zsuzsanna Balázs. She produces each type of program drawing on her decades-long experience in journalism. Zsuzsanna Balázs began her career at HVG, Hungary’s most established weekly magazine, where she was a contributor to several sections for more than ten years. As a member of the Szellem (Spirit) section, her main focus was on science communication and storytelling, while in the Monitor section she explored the challenges and affairs of the international community.
Later, she joined Qubit, an online magazine founded in November 2017 as a sister publication of 444, where her interests shifted toward science and education policy.
She began dealing with the role of women in social and political life during her time at HVG, and this topic in its various aspects has accompanied her work ever since. Having not only studied these social issues in depth but also maintained professional relationships with experts in the field, she developed a long-term collaboration with historian Andrea Pető, with whom she co-authored a book published in 2025 titled Orbán Viktor’s Affairs with Women.
Balázs began podcasting as part of her editorial work at Qubit, where she independently launched two podcast series titled Boncasztal (“Dissection Table”) and Betűtészta (“Alphabet Soup”). The former dealt with medical topics, while the latter focused on current social issues. Betűtészta, as a forerunner to the Szubkontra XvsZ program series, aimed to explore generational divides. Since 2024, she has also been one of the hosts of the morning show Hajnali hasadás (“Dawn Break”) on Tilos Radio.
Who published the book?
Womanpress Civic Association
“A woman possesses the same creative power as a man — only with different experiences and perspectives. Without her, the world is not complete!”
Customer service:
womanpressinfo@gmail.com
Address:
Ulica sv. Ladislava 7566/17, 92901 Dunajská Streda
Why a Slovak publisher?
Although there is significant interest in Hungary in the social roles available to women — whether chosen freely or imposed by the fabric of society — it remains extremely difficult to bring such issues to the broader public, even in the form of newspaper articles or podcast interviews. The politicization of the roles, responsibilities, and representations of both women and men makes these topics a serious economic and political risk for editors, chief editors, and publishers alike.
Most publishing houses are indebted to and dependent on the Orbán regime, which exercises complete control over the economy. Even among the few remaining independent publishers, the situation is not much better: decision-making positions in the Hungarian publishing industry are still overwhelmingly held by men. Their reluctance to engage with such topics may not stem solely from fear of external repercussions, but also from the everyday sexism that has become deeply ingrained in their personalities. While an article on such themes might occasionally find its way into print, they tend to shy away from book projects due to the high production costs and the uncertainty of financial return.
The Womanpress Publishing House in Dunajská Streda, founded and maintained by ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, considers it part of its mission to ensure that both halves of society — women and men alike — can make use of their right to freedom of expression. The publisher immediately recognized the potential of Orbán Viktor’s Affairs with Women. After reading the manuscript, they swiftly raised the funds necessary for publication, edited and refined the text with exceptional care, and continue to oversee its distribution. Their dedicated work was indispensable to the book’s completion — for even the most valuable content, and the unique collaboration between a journalist and a researcher, would be meaningless if the resulting text never reached its audience.
Will it be published in other languages?
The authors themselves have prepared the English translation of the book, and negotiations are already underway with a British publisher regarding the details of the English-language edition.
Will there be an e-book edition?
Neither the authors nor the publishers are opposed to releasing an e-book version, but the details regarding this format will only be announced later.