Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar addressed the Parliament on Tuesday, outlining his administration’s intention to establish investigative committees to examine allegations of corruption and abuse of power associated with former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government. Magyar and his centre-right Tisza party achieved a decisive victory in last month’s elections, securing a two-thirds majority that empowers them to reverse numerous policies attributed to Orbán, who ruled the country in an authoritarian manner.
A central commitment of Tisza’s campaign was to ensure accountability for Orbán, his nationalist-populist Fidesz party, and affiliated business elites regarding their alleged misconduct. Magyar announced the formation of six investigative committees tasked with scrutinising various matters from Orbán’s administration, specifically focusing on the suspected misappropriation of public funds managed by Hungary’s National Bank. This case is currently under police investigation and may involve hundreds of millions of dollars.
Magyar emphasised, “We will unveil all corruption and abuses of power.” He further stated, “The Hungarian public has the right to know who benefitted from their resources, who misappropriated funds, and who profited from the vulnerabilities of the populace.”
During his 16-year tenure as Prime Minister, Orbán faced accusations from critics regarding the widespread misuse of public funds, including the awarding of lucrative state contracts to relatives and business associates aligned with his party. Additionally, he was charged with using government authority to weaken democratic institutions, leading the European Parliament in 2022 to declare Hungary no longer a democracy.
Since assuming office, lawmakers from Magyar’s party have introduced a proposal to amend the constitution to limit prime ministerial tenure to 8 years. This provision would apply to Magyar himself. If enacted, this amendment would prevent Orbán, who served four consecutive terms, from returning to the office of Prime Minister. Magyar also indicated that his administration aims to enforce the eight-year limit on other elected positions, asserting, “No one should assume that electoral authority is an everlasting entitlement. Unrestricted power can lead to loss of accountability over time in any democratic framework.”
Moreover, one investigative committee will delve into the circumstances surrounding a pardon issued by former President Katalin Novák to an accomplice in a child sexual abuse case, which ultimately resulted in her resignation in 2024. In addition, the new Prime Minister has pledged to pursue a constitutional amendment to dissolve Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office, an entity created by Orbán’s government in 2023 with the mandate to investigate non-governmental organisations, media outlets, and political parties to mitigate foreign influence.
Magyar has committed to eliminating the “political privileges” previously accorded to officeholders, including reductions in the salaries of the Prime Minister, cabinet members, executives at state-owned enterprises, and lawmakers.
His article used information from The Associated Press.
