In a significant move by Hungary’s legislative body, the Hungarian Parliament has voted to remove the parliamentary immunity of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, facilitating a criminal investigation into an alleged theft incident involving him. The decision, passed unanimously with 139 votes, enables prosecutors to further probe the incident reported to have occurred in Budapest in June 2024.
The investigation centers around an alleged confrontation at a nightclub where Magyar is accused of seizing a man’s phone and subsequently discarding it into the Danube River. The phone was later retrieved, and Magyar has staunchly denied any wrongdoing, categorizing the allegations as politically motivated. In an unusual step, Magyar himself requested the removal of his immunity, expressing readiness to cooperate with the legal proceedings.
Alongside Magyar, the Parliament also lifted the immunity of two former ministers: Balázs Hankó, the ex-Culture and Innovation Minister, and Miklós Seszták, the former National Development Minister. Both are implicated in separate corruption investigations. Following the parliamentary vote, Seszták was taken into custody by prosecutors, though he continues to assert his innocence.
The removal of immunity for these officials marks a crucial development, allowing legal authorities to conduct thorough investigations without the protective shield often afforded to parliamentary members. As of now, the investigations into Magyar, Hankó, and Seszták are ongoing, with no definitive conclusions or convictions reached.
