Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has publicly called on András Zs. Varga, the president of Hungary’s Supreme Court (Curia), to resign immediately, accusing him of overseeing extravagant luxury developments funded by taxpayers.

In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday, Magyar described Varga as a “Fidesz-appointed Supreme Court president living in luxury on public money.” He claimed that the head of the Curia had regularly intimidated colleagues and pointed out that former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán appointed him despite Varga allegedly never having worked as a judge or delivered a court ruling prior to his nomination.

Allegations over luxury facilities inside Curia building

The dispute centres around the large-scale reconstruction of the Curia’s historic building on Budapest’s Kossuth Square. According to Magyar, the renovation includes a series of lavish features allegedly intended for the court president.

Although Varga denied the accusations in a statement issued on Saturday, Magyar insisted that the project involves the creation of a “luxury presidential level” within the building, financed by Hungarian taxpayers.

The prime minister cited several elements which he said point to excessive spending, including a gilded ceiling in the presidential office, marble surfaces in the presidential bathroom, a judges’ club with a bar counter, a winter garden covered by a glass roof, and new terraces overlooking the Hungarian Parliament.

“All this is naturally being financed with public money, in secret,” Magyar said.

He also questioned how lower-paid court employees, such as clerks and administrative staff earning net monthly salaries of HUF 200,000–300,000 (approximately EUR 555–833), might feel about the alleged spending priorities.

Magyar ended his statement by urging Varga to step down “together with the other Orbán puppets enjoying luxury at taxpayers’ expense.”

Curia rejects accusations and defends renovation project

In response, the Curia stated on its official website that the renovation project had originally been approved under the institution’s previous leadership, not by the current administration.

The court also rejected Magyar’s suggestion that a HUF 400 million presidential suite was being built on the roof of the building. According to the Curia, the attic-level area included in the plans is intended to serve as a judges’ club rather than a private presidential apartment.

The statement further denied the existence of a cigar room or presidential suite in either the original or revised plans and said no Carrara marble had been ordered for the project.

According to the Curia, the goal of the reconstruction is to restore the building as closely as possible to its original condition while also meeting modern administrative requirements.

Changes made to original plans

The Curia also claimed that the current leadership had significantly reduced the scale of protocol and representative areas originally envisioned in the renovation plans.

Among the reported modifications:

  • The office space designated for the president of the Curia was reduced by two-thirds and will reportedly be smaller than the president’s current office in Markó Street.
  • The attic-level judges’ club will partly serve as a library.
  • Contrary to earlier proposals, the Curia’s Criminal Chamber will remain inside the main Kossuth Square building instead of being relocated to a separate facility.

The court added that the building’s representative spaces will remain open to visitors after the renovation is completed. However, public visits cannot currently be allowed because the site remains an active construction area under the contractor’s control.

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Dispute also touches National Election Office building

The Curia also addressed speculation concerning the nearby Constitution Street building currently occupied by Hungary’s National Election Office. According to the statement, the Curia itself did not request that property, and if the government decides otherwise regarding its future use, the court will reorganise the placement of its departments accordingly.

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