The Hungarian Parliament voted on September 28, 2026, to lift the parliamentary immunity of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, along with two former ministers from the previous administration. The move, which Magyar himself requested, clears the path for legal proceedings that contrast a misdemeanor charge against the current Prime Minister with multi-million euro corruption investigations into former officials of the Viktor Orbán era.
The decision was finalized in an extraordinary session where the measure passed 139-0. Lawmakers from the opposition Fidesz party, which governed Hungary for 16 years until its defeat in April 2026, boycotted the proceedings.
Prime Minister Magyar is currently under investigation for misdemeanor theft stemming from a June 2024 incident. According to reports, Magyar allegedly seized a phone from a man he described as a “provocateur” and threw the device into the Danube River. Magyar advocated for the removal of his own immunity. “Anyone who has nothing to hide comes forward openly,” Magyar stated, positioning the move as a demonstration of transparency.
The parliamentary vote also stripped the immunity of former Culture and Innovation Minister Balázs Hankó and former National Development Minister Miklós Seszták. These cases involve significantly higher stakes than the Prime Minister’s misdemeanor probe.
Hankó is the subject of an embezzlement investigation involving the suspected misuse of approximately 17.3 billion forints (€47 million) from the National Cultural Fund. Separately, Seszták is being investigated for suspected bribery and other offenses related to the “Volanbusz” case, a long-running scandal involving the state-owned bus operator.
The legal developments follow a landslide election victory by Magyar in April 2026, which ended nearly two decades of Fidesz dominance. The new government has frequently pledged to investigate the financial dealings of the former administration.
By allowing his own immunity to be lifted alongside those of his political rivals, Magyar is attempting to draw a sharp distinction between his personal legal hurdle and the structural corruption allegations facing the former Orban ministers. Legal analysts suggest the outcome of the Hankó and Seszták probes will serve as a significant test for the independence of the Hungarian judiciary following the recent change in power.
