Hungary lifts immunity of PM Magyar and two Orban-era ministers

September 29, 2026 at 06:01 AM2 min

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Hungary's Parliament voted on Monday to strip Prime Minister Peter Magyar and two former Orban-era ministers of their immunity, clearing the way for criminal investigations. The probes target allegations of theft, embezzlement, and bribery. The vote came after Magyar requested the move to clear himself of what he called character assassination.

Key Facts

Hungary's Parliament voted on Monday to lift the immunity of Prime Minister Peter Magyar and two former ministers from Viktor Orban's government.
Former Culture Minister Balazs Hanko is accused of embezzling more than 40 million euros ($46m) in public funds.
Former National Development Minister Miklos Sesztak is under investigation for allegedly accepting over $37.2m in bribes and kickbacks.
Magyar is being investigated over a June 2024 incident in which he allegedly threw a man's mobile phone into the Danube River.
Orban's Fidesz party and its ally KDNP boycotted the parliamentary session.

Parliamentary Vote

Legislators voted overwhelmingly in favour of lifting the immunity of Magyar, Hanko, and Sesztak. The vote was in response to a request last week from prosecutors seeking to investigate the three men. Orban's Fidesz party and its ally KDNP boycotted the session. Magyar had specifically asked for his immunity to be lifted so he could clear himself of what he called character assassination.

Corruption Allegations

Hanko, a legislator from Orban's Fidesz party, is accused of embezzling more than 40 million euros ($46m) in public funds. Prosecutors allege the money was used to help finance the 2026 parliamentary election campaign and for the personal benefit of others. Sesztak, a lawmaker from KDNP, is under investigation over allegedly accepting more than $37.2m in bribes and kickbacks connected to vehicle procurements under Hungary's state bus company, as well as to state construction projects. Both ministers deny any wrongdoing.

Political Context

The cases come less than six months after Magyar's Tisza party ended Orban's 16 years in power with a landslide election victory. Magyar campaigned on pledges to tackle corruption, restore rule-of-law safeguards, and rebuild Hungary's strained relationship with the European Union. His government has since made fighting alleged corruption and overpriced public procurement a central part of its programme, including plans for a new asset-recovery office focused on wrongdoing linked to the Orban era.