Hungary removes immunity from Prime Minister Magyar and two former ministers from the Orban administration.
In a pivotal move highlighting Hungary’s commitment to transparency and accountability, the Parliament has lifted the immunity of Prime Minister Peter Magyar and two former ministers of Viktor Orban’s administration. This decision allows for a thorough investigation into alleged corruption and misconduct, which marks a significant shift in the political landscape following Orban’s lengthy tenure. As Hungary embarks on a new chapter focused on restoring democratic norms, the outcomes of these investigations could redefine public trust and governance in the nation.
Hungary’s Parliament has taken a decisive step by stripping Prime Minister Peter Magyar and two former ministers from Viktor Orban’s nationalist government of their legal immunity, facilitating criminal investigations against them. The vote, which occurred on a Monday, followed Magyar’s own request to remove his immunity as he seeks to defend himself against accusations of theft. The investigations against Magyar, along with former Minister of Culture Balazs Hanko and former Minister of National Development Miklos Sesztak, are historic as they represent the first prosecutions of high-ranking officials from Orban’s sixteen years in power.
Legislators showed strong support for lifting the immunity, although Orban’s Fidesz party and its ally, the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP), boycotted the session. The request to allow prosecutors to pursue inquiries into Magyar and the former ministers came just days before the vote, highlighting the ongoing scrutiny of the past administration’s questionable practices.
Magyar faces allegations stemming from an incident at a Budapest nightclub in June 2024, where prosecutors claim he unlawfully confiscated a mobile phone from an individual filming him and discarded it into the Danube River. He labeled these accusations as a “sham” and has attempted to frame the investigation against him as a continuation of a political “character assassination.”
Hanko, a member of Orban’s Fidesz party, is accused of embezzling over €40 million ( million) in public funds, reportedly diverting resources to finance election campaigns and personal gains. Meanwhile, Sesztak is under investigation for allegedly receiving bribes exceeding million associated with vehicle procurements through the state bus company and ongoing construction projects. Both implicated ministers have firmly denied any wrongdoing.
These allegations come at a crucial time, just months after Magyar’s Tisza party ended Orban’s long-standing rule with a significant electoral victory. The new government campaigned on a platform promising to combat corruption, restore rule-of-law protections, and mend Hungary’s frayed relations with the European Union. As such, the focus on addressing alleged corruption and reforming public procurement practices is central to Magyar’s administration, which intends to establish a new asset-recovery office aimed at rectifying wrongdoings from the previous government.
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