Hungary’s parliamentary Immunity Committee has recommended lifting the parliamentary immunity of Tisza Party MP Lőrinc Varga in connection with a drink-driving offence committed in 2024, before he became a member of parliament.

Committee chair Edit Sasi-Nagy, also a Tisza Party MP, told the Hungarian News Agency (MTI) after Wednesday’s meeting that the proposal will be submitted to Parliament for a vote next Monday.

According to Sasi-Nagy, the offence took place in 2024, when Varga was neither an MP nor a parliamentary candidate. However, because the court proceedings were still ongoing when he was elected to Parliament, the case was suspended, and the court requested that his parliamentary immunity be lifted so the trial could continue.

Committee unanimously supports lifting immunity

Sasi-Nagy explained that the committee follows a long-established practice: in public prosecution cases, it generally recommends suspending parliamentary immunity, while in private prosecution cases, it recommends maintaining it.

On that basis, the committee unanimously voted to recommend lifting Varga’s immunity. Varga, one of the youngest MPs in the Tisza Party parliamentary group, publicly addressed the incident in May.

In a social media post, he acknowledged responsibility, writing that during a routine police check following a gathering with friends, alcohol had been detected in his system the following morning.

“I made a mistake, and I fully accept responsibility,” he said at the time.

Magyar, Toroczkai and Takács retain immunity in defamation cases

The committee also considered several private prosecution cases involving other MPs. It unanimously recommended maintaining the parliamentary immunity of Prime Minister Péter Magyar in a defamation case initiated by a politician.

Similarly, the committee proposed maintaining the immunity of László Toroczkai, leader of the Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland) party, in four separate court proceedings relating to the same alleged act involving defamation and insult.

The committee also unanimously recommended preserving the immunity of Fidesz MP Péter Takács, who is likewise facing private defamation and insult proceedings.

Have you read this? Turning point in the polls: Orbán may welcome latest survey — are voters really punishing Péter Magyar?

Committee: immunity protects political work, not criminal offences

Summing up the decisions, Sasi-Nagy said the private prosecution cases illustrate the original purpose of parliamentary immunity: ensuring that elected representatives can carry out their political duties without being hindered by private legal disputes.

By contrast, she noted that public prosecution cases—such as Varga’s alleged drink-driving offence—are generally treated differently, which is why the committee recommended allowing the criminal proceedings to continue.

If you missed it: Research institute warns PM Péter Magyar risks ‘wearing himself out’