Hungary’s parliament voted unanimously on Monday to lift the legal immunity of Prime Minister Peter Magyar, removing a key barrier to prosecution in an ongoing investigation. The decision also stripped immunity from two former ministers who served under the administration of Viktor Orbán, clearing the path for separate legal inquiries into all three individuals.
The vote took place at a session in Budapest, where Magyar appeared and addressed the proceedings. The ruling passed with a vote of 139 in favor and zero against. However, members of the outgoing right-wing populist Fidesz party and its coalition partner, the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP), abstained and did not participate in the ballot. Magyar’s center-right Tisza party, which assumed office in April, had actively urged lawmakers to approve the measure.
Magyar is currently facing scrutiny regarding an incident in 2024 at a Budapest nightclub. Prosecutors allege that the Prime Minister seized a mobile phone from an individual who was recording him and subsequently threw the device into the Danube River. Magyar has publicly dismissed the charges as a “farce,” alleging that prosecutors are attempting to link his case to broader corruption accusations targeting former Orbán officials.
Alongside the Prime Minister, the parliament removed the immunity of Balazs Hanko, the former minister of culture and innovation, and Miklos Sesztak, the former national development minister. Both men now hold seats in parliament as members of the opposition.
Hanko, representing Fidesz, is under investigation for the alleged misappropriation of public funds from Hungary’s National Cultural Fund. Authorities claim that improper use of public money occurred in over 1,000 cases, resulting in estimated losses of 17.3 billion forints (approximately $52.3 million). Hanko has denied these allegations.
Sesztak, a member of the KDNP, faces a distinct investigation concerning涉嫌 bribery connected to contracts with Volanbusz, a state-owned bus company. He served as national development minister between 2014 and 2018.
The legal actions against these figures come shortly after Magyar’s electoral victory in April, which ended Orbán’s 16-year tenure. During the campaign, Magyar campaigned on a platform dedicated to investigating alleged corruption and abuses of power within the previous government.
Throwing a phone into the Danube is reckless, but linking his case to broader corruption seems like a stretch. Let the evidence speak.
Unanimous vote but the opposition abstained? That doesn’t sound like true consensus to me. More political theater.
Wait, is Peter Magyar really the current PM? I thought Viktor Orbán was still in charge. History check needed here!
Good to see the new government holding former officials accountable. The cultural fund embezzlement claims are serious.