Prime Minister-designate Péter Magyar has named Márta Görög, dean of the Faculty of Law at University of Szeged, as Hungary’s next justice minister after the previous nominee stepped aside over concerns about family ties to the incoming prime minister.
Magyar announced the appointment on Friday, describing Görög as “the uncrowned queen of the Hungarian legal profession”.
Replacement comes after previous nominee withdrew
The announcement follows the withdrawal of Márton Melléthei-Barna, who had originally been selected for the post.
Melléthei-Barna resigned from consideration on Thursday after criticism emerged over his close personal and family relationship with Magyar. The lawyer is married to the Tisza leader’s sister and has also been a longtime friend and political ally.
In his resignation statement, Melléthei-Barna said the incoming government needed to strengthen public trust in the rule of law rather than create unnecessary controversy.
Magyar later praised the decision, saying he respected the “difficult choice” and insisted Melléthei-Barna would have made “a fantastic justice minister”.
Who is Márta Görög?
According to Magyar, Görög’s academic and professional background make her uniquely suited to oversee the rebuilding of Hungary’s constitutional and legal system.
She is one of Hungary’s best-known legal scholars and currently serves as:
- dean of the law faculty at the University of Szeged,
- member of the presidium of the Hungarian Lawyers Association,
- member of the legal sciences committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
- and head of the accreditation college of the Hungarian Accreditation Committee.
Magyar said Görög would play a key role in restoring “professional standards” to Hungarian lawmaking and ensuring legislation is preceded by meaningful professional and social consultation.
Rule of law and EU funds among top priorities
The incoming justice minister is also expected to oversee reforms tied to Hungary’s long-running disputes with the European Commission over rule-of-law concerns.
According to Magyar, Görög will help create the legal conditions necessary to unlock EU funds frozen during the Orbán era.
The Tisza government has repeatedly pledged to restore judicial independence, strengthen checks and balances, and reduce political influence over state institutions.
What happened? BREAKING: Tisza Party justice minister nominee steps down over family ties to PM-to-be Magyar
Why this matters for people in Hungary
For Hungarians, the justice ministry will play a central role in determining how quickly the new government can implement legal reforms and potentially regain access to billions of euros in EU funding.
Those funds could affect infrastructure projects, healthcare, education, local government financing, and broader economic stability in Hungary.
The appointment may also signal how the incoming administration intends to balance political change with technocratic expertise, especially after criticism surrounding the previous nominee’s family ties.
What’s next? Brussels warns Hungary may not recover all frozen EU funds before deadline
