In a significant political development, Hungary’s Parliament has voted to remove the parliamentary immunity of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, enabling prosecutors to investigate his alleged involvement in a theft incident in Budapest. The decision was reached with 139 votes in favor and no opposition, allowing the investigation to proceed without the protection of parliamentary immunity.
The investigation pertains to an incident in June 2024 at a nightclub in Budapest, where Magyar is accused of taking a man’s phone during a confrontation and subsequently throwing it into the Danube River. The phone was later recovered. Despite these allegations, Magyar has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the case is politically motivated. He has expressed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation, having himself requested the lifting of his immunity to face the allegations directly.
In addition to Magyar, Parliament also voted to lift the immunity of two former ministers: Balázs Hankó, the former Culture and Innovation Minister, and Miklós Seszták, the former National Development Minister. Both are subjects of separate investigations related to alleged corruption. Following the parliamentary vote, Seszták was detained by prosecutors; he maintains his innocence regarding the charges.
The parliamentary decisions mark a crucial step in enabling prosecutors to pursue legal proceedings against the three politicians without the hindrance of parliamentary immunity. As investigations continue, these allegations have yet to be proven in court, and no final convictions have been made.