Hungary’s parliament has suspended Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s parliamentary immunity, clearing the way for a criminal investigation into an alleged phone theft dating back to 2024.
The decision was passed with 139 votes in favour, with no votes against and no abstentions at an extraordinary parliamentary sitting on Monday. The Fidesz and KDNP parliamentary groups did not take part in the session, according to Telex.
The case concerns an incident at the Ötkert nightclub in Budapest in June 2024, shortly after the European Parliament election.
Phone allegedly thrown into the Danube
According to the prosecution’s account, Magyar became involved in an argument with a man who was filming him at the nightclub on 21 June 2024. Magyar allegedly took the man’s phone and later threw it into the Danube.
The phone was subsequently recovered from the river with the help of divers. Prosecutors said at the time that the circumstances could constitute the criminal offence of theft.
The case was initially complicated by Magyar’s immunity as a Member of the European Parliament. In September 2024, the Hungarian prosecution requested that the European Parliament suspend his immunity, but the request was not granted. The investigation was consequently closed.
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After Magyar moved from the European Parliament to Hungary’s National Assembly in May 2026, the investigation could be resumed, and prosecutors again requested the suspension of his immunity – this time from the Hungarian parliament.
The suspension does not mean that Magyar has been found guilty. It removes the legal protection that currently prevents investigative measures directly targeting him and allows the criminal proceedings to move forward.
Magyar asked MPs to suspend his immunity
Magyar himself had called on his fellow Tisza MPs to vote in favour of suspending his immunity. Speaking about the issue, the prime minister said that everyone should take responsibility before the law and that he had nothing to hide. He has denied committing a crime and said he would act in the same way again in the circumstances.
Magyar also argued that the prosecution was attempting to put his case alongside what he described as much more serious corruption cases. He criticised what he called members of the former Orbán-era prosecution establishment and accused the authorities of trying to divert attention from alleged corruption during the previous government.
The prosecution has rejected Magyar’s criticism, saying that the authorities’ role is to conduct proceedings lawfully and fairly.
Parliament also lifts immunity in two other cases
Magyar was not the only politician whose immunity was suspended at Monday’s extraordinary sitting.
Parliament also voted 139–0, with no abstentions, to suspend the immunity of former Fidesz minister Balázs Hankó and KDNP MP Miklós Seszták. Their cases concern separate investigations into alleged offences linked to the National Cultural Fund and the Volánbusz company, respectively.
The votes came despite the parliamentary Immunity Committee failing to reach a majority in favour of lifting the protections. The plenary session nevertheless approved all three suspensions.
Read more about the case: Hungarian immunity rights: Prosecutors seek suspension for PM Magyar and two former Fidesz ministers
For Magyar, the decision now removes the parliamentary obstacle to investigative measures in the long-running phone case. It remains for the authorities to determine whether the evidence justifies further proceedings against him.
“Magyar himself had called on his fellow Tisza MPs to vote in favour of suspending his immunity. Speaking about the issue, the prime minister said that everyone should take responsibility before the law and that he had nothing to hide.”
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. That is why he did not voluntarily relinquish his immunity as a member of the E.Yuck’s “parliament” two years ago. He could’ve done so easily but we all know why he did not.
Sleazeball.