Parliament is set to decide today on a conspicuous pay cut in the remuneration—formally termed “honoraria”—of MPs, as well as the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers and a range of parliamentary office-holders. The headline question is simple: how much do they earn now, and how much will remain after the axe falls?
Pay cut is a must?
Since his election, Prime Minister Péter Magyar has signalled that a sweeping cut to political salaries would be among his government’s flagship reforms, arguing that Hungary’s economic circumstances demand restraint at the top. The aim, he says, is to end the era of “career politicians” living comfortably off public office—beginning with his own pay, that of his ministers, and MPs alike.
Debate on the proposal begins today, but with Tisza’s 141-strong two-thirds majority, its passage is scarcely in doubt. Not least because both Fidesz and Mi Hazánk have indicated they will lend their support.
What do they earn now?
MPs’ pay was last overhauled in 2018, when it was pegged to the national average gross wage, alongside the salaries of parliamentary office-holders such as the Speaker, deputy speakers and committee chairs. Since then, remuneration has climbed steeply. As of 1 March 2026, the basic salary of an MP stands at HUF 2.182 million gross, supplemented by various extra money for committee work, caucus leadership and other roles.
The Speaker earns close to HUF 6 million, while parliamentary group leaders and deputy speakers receive upwards of HUF 4.3 million. Even a rank-and-file MP serving on a single committee takes home more than HUF 2.6 million gross. One notable exception has been Ákos Hadházy, who declined committee positions and thus received only the base salary—just under HUF 2.2 million—having long dismissed parliamentary work as little more than theatre.
The wider burden on taxpayers extends beyond salaries. MPs are entitled to reimbursements for travel and fuel, housing or hotel accommodation, office rental, staffing budgets and mobile phone services. Housing allowances alone exceed HUF 763,000 per month; staffing budgets can top HUF 7.2 million; and even mobile phone bills are covered to the tune of more than HUF 100,000 monthly.
A significant reduction—though not austerity
The proposed changes would bring a marked drop in income, though hardly penury. By market standards, MPs would still receive remuneration comparable to mid-to-senior corporate management packages—albeit well below current levels.
Salaries will remain linked to the national average wage, but with lower multipliers. Thus, if wages rise across the economy—something the government expects as previously frozen EU funds begin to flow—politicians’ pay will follow suit.
The base salary for MPs will fall from three times the average wage to 1.8 times, putting it at just over HUF 1.3 million gross.
What will they earn?
The cuts cascade across the hierarchy, Telex wrote. The Speaker’s salary will fall to HUF 3.8 million gross; deputy speakers to HUF 1.1 million; parliamentary group leaders to HUF 3.5 million, with their deputies on HUF 3.1 million; and notaries and committee vice-chairs on HUF 2.88 million. Committee chairs will also receive HUF 3.1 million.
Allowances will be trimmed as well: housing and hotel budgets cut by 31 per cent, office rental reimbursements by 52 per cent, and staffing budgets by 30 per cent. MPs will also be required to cover their own mobile phone costs.
Among government members, the Prime Minister’s salary will fall from HUF 7.8 million to HUF 3.8 million gross, with ministers facing comparable reductions.
One symbolic gesture has already emerged: Ákos Berki, Tisza’s only MP under 25, has voluntarily given up the personal income tax exemption available to younger workers.
What next for mayors?
Attention is now turning to local government, where ministers have floated the idea of cutting mayors’ pay—though details remain sparse. The issue is more complex than in Parliament.
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In 2024, the Orbán government tied mayors’ salaries to the national average wage, resulting in more than a doubling of their pay. Inflation has since pushed up the salaries of municipal company executives and institutional leaders as well.
Reverting to pre-2024 levels, as once suggested by Tisza, could create anomalies: in some cases, executives with less responsibility might out-earn the mayors who oversee them, or even elected councillors could eclipse mayoral pay, as the two systems are not formally linked.
Experts argue that any reform should ensure predictability and indexation to inflation, insulating local officials’ pay from the shifting priorities of central government.
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