In a significant move, Hungary’s Parliament has voted to remove the parliamentary immunity of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, enabling prosecutors to advance an investigation into an alleged theft incident that occurred in Budapest in June 2024. The decision was overwhelmingly approved with 139 votes in favor, while no members voted against or abstained from the vote.
The case centers on an altercation at a Budapest nightclub, where Magyar is accused of taking a man’s phone and subsequently discarding it into the Danube River. The phone was later retrieved, and Magyar has consistently refuted any criminal wrongdoing, claiming the investigation is politically motivated. Despite these allegations, he requested the lifting of his immunity, expressing his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
In addition to Magyar, the Parliament also revoked the immunity of two former ministers: Balázs Hankó, former Culture and Innovation Minister, and Miklós Seszták, former National Development Minister. Both individuals face separate investigations related to alleged corruption offenses. Following the parliamentary decision, Seszták was detained by prosecutors but continues to assert his innocence.
These parliamentary decisions pave the way for prosecutors to pursue the cases against all three officials without the barrier of parliamentary immunity. As the investigations are still ongoing, it is important to note that no final convictions have been reached in any of the cases.