Hungary Lifts Immunity Of PM Magyar, Two Orbán-Era Ministers

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s parliament has lifted the immunity of Prime Minister Péter Magyar and two former ministers who served under his predecessor, Viktor Orbán, clearing the way for criminal investigations ranging from alleged theft to corruption involving tens of millions of dollars.

Magyar himself asked lawmakers to remove his immunity, saying he wanted to face allegations stemming from a June 2024 incident at a Budapest nightclub. Prosecutors allege that Magyar took a mobile phone from a man who was filming him during an altercation and later threw the device into the Danube River.

According to prosecutors, Magyar pulled the phone from the man’s hand to stop him from filming, put it in his pocket and walked away. After another confrontation, security guards reportedly removed them from the club. Despite requests to return the phone, Magyar allegedly dropped it into the Danube, where police divers later recovered it.

Magyar denies that his actions amounted to theft and has called the case politically motivated. The phone was valued at about 130,000-150,000 forints ($400-$465), according to documents considered by the European Parliament, which previously refused Hungary’s request to waive his immunity when he served as an EU lawmaker.

QUESTIONS OVER TEMPERAMENT

However, the nightclub episode has fueled broader questions among some critics about Magyar’s temperament and alleged angry behavior. His ex-wife, former Justice Minister Judit Varga, publicly accused him in 2024 of verbal and physical abuse during their marriage, allegations Magyar strongly denied.

Authorities later closed an investigation prompted by Varga’s allegations, citing a lack of evidence, without filing charges against Magyar.

If convicted of the suspected misdemeanor theft, Magyar could theoretically face up to two years in prison, although Hungarian legal experts said a custodial sentence seemed unlikely and the case was not expected by itself to force him from office.

Before Monday’s vote, Magyar told lawmakers that he had “not committed a crime” but would take responsibility for his actions.

ORBÁN-ERA CORRUPTION PROBES

The allegations involving former Orbán ministers Balázs Hankó and Miklós Seszták concern far larger sums. Prosecutors suspect Hankó, a former culture minister, of criminal mismanagement involving 17.3 billion forints ($53.6 million) from Hungary’s National Cultural Fund.

Prosecutors allege Hankó personally intervened in distributing money from the fund, which was intended to support cultural projects, based on political considerations and to cover campaign costs for Orbán’s Fidesz party before April’s election.

Seszták, a former national development minister, is suspected of accepting more than 12 billion forints ($37.2 million) in alleged bribes and kickbacks linked to vehicle procurements by Hungary’s state bus company and state construction projects.

Neither former minister has been indicted. If convicted as suspected, Hankó and Seszták could each face five to 10 years in prison.

IMMUNITY LIFTED

Parliament suspended the immunity of Magyar, Hankó and Seszták, with each decision receiving 139 votes in favor. Fidesz and its Christian Democratic ally, KDNP, boycotted the votes, describing the proceedings against the former ministers as politically motivated.

As Magyar’s government intensified its broader anti-corruption drive, the National Asset Protection and Recovery Office, established under his administration, announced Monday four initial cases it intends to tackle.

The cases concern alleged trading in political connections to obtain work-related residence permits; suspected corruption involving municipal spending on park maintenance and public catering; alleged wrongdoing involving a state-owned company and state investments; and questionable propaganda and event spending by the former Sovereignty Protection Office.

The third investigation is linked to Dániel Jellinek, one of Hungary’s wealthiest businessmen, who was questioned September 15 in an alleged bribery investigation involving a bus procurement deal. His Indotek Group has said Jellinek would cooperate fully and maintains that he committed no offense.

FOUR CASES TARGETED

The fourth investigation concerns what the National Asset Protection and Recovery Office described as “seemingly unjustified propaganda and event costs” at the Sovereignty Protection Office, an Orbán-era institution abolished by Magyar’s government in June.

Magyar has claimed corruption and misuse of public funds cost Hungary between 8 and 10 percent of gross domestic product in recent years under Orbán.

However, Orbán has denied allowing corruption to go unchecked during his 16 uninterrupted years in power until he was voted out of office in April. He previously served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002.

Monday’s extraordinary parliamentary session also highlighted the first significant open disagreement between Magyar and newly elected President András Baka. Parliament rejected Baka’s nominee for chief prosecutor, Zoltán Szathmáry, by 138 votes to none, with one abstention, after Magyar’s governing Tisza party opposed his appointment.

PROSECUTOR REJECTED

Baka said he would nominate another candidate as soon as possible. Hungary’s chief prosecutor is elected by a two-thirds parliamentary majority for a nine-year term.

The anti-corruption drive is also part of Magyar’s broader effort to repair Hungary’s strained relationship with the European Union and regain billions of euros in EU funding withheld under Orbán over rule-of-law and corruption concerns.

The European Commission last week proposed restoring 4.2 billion euros ($4.9 billion) in cohesion funding and Hungary’s full access to the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programs. The money is part of a total 16.4 billion euros ($19 billion) in previously frozen recovery and cohesion funds that the EU agreed in May could be unlocked as Hungary implements reforms.

The latest proposal still requires approval by EU member states, but it marks a significant step toward restoring funds withheld during Orbán’s rule. Magyar swept to power on promises to investigate alleged corruption and misuse of state resources during Orbán’s rule and overhaul institutions that critics said had become politically compromised.

Fidesz lawmakers have portrayed investigations targeting former Orbán-era officials as politically driven after Magyar’s party secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority in this year’s elections, matching the supermajority previously wielded by Fidesz and its smaller ally KDNP.