Hungarian Parliament Unanimously Lifts Prime Minister Magyar's Immunity
Hungarian lawmakers have unanimously voted to lift the immunity of Prime Minister Peter Magyar following a minor phone-throwing incident, while also stripping immunity from two former ministers under Viktor Orban.
Hungarian Parliament Lifts Prime Minister's Immunity
The Hungarian Parliament has voted unanimously to lift the parliamentary immunity of Prime Minister Peter Magyar, clearing the way for a formal investigation into a minor theft allegation dating back to mid-2024. With 139 votes in favor and zero opposed, Magyar became the first prime minister in modern Hungarian history to have his immunity waived while in office.
The case stems from an incident at a Budapest nightclub in June 2024, before Magyar's party defeated Viktor Orban's administration. According to prosecutors, Magyar snatched a mobile phone from an individual who was filming him without permission, later throwing the device into the Danube River. The alleged damage amounts to slightly over 300 dollars. Magyar has denied that his actions constitute theft, claiming the proceedings are politically motivated, but he instructed his party members to vote in favor of lifting his immunity.
"I do not believe I have committed a crime, and I take full responsibility for all my actions. Anyone who has nothing to hide stands openly," Magyar stated ahead of the parliamentary session.
Expanding Anticorruption Probes and Political Fallout
The same parliamentary session also saw the immunity stripped of two former ministers from Orban's government. Balazs Hanko, the former culture minister, faces allegations regarding the misuse of National Cultural Fund resources for political purposes and Fidesz election expenses. Additionally, Miklos Sesztak, a former development minister, is suspected of taking bribes and receiving illegal payments related to public procurement and state bus purchases.
Magyar criticized prosecutors for bundling his minor phone incident together with multi-million dollar corruption cases involving former officials. Meanwhile, Fidesz lawmakers, who boycotted the vote alongside their Christian Democratic allies, condemned the legal actions against their former colleagues as a politically driven retaliation campaign.
