EU Committee Rejects Hungary's Bid to Lift Péter Magyar's Immunity

EU Committee Upholds Immunity for Hungarian Opposition Leader

The European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) voted on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, to reject Hungary's request to lift the parliamentary immunity of Péter Magyar, a prominent Hungarian opposition leader and Member of the European Parliament (MEP). The decision, made in a closed-door session, means Magyar retains protection from prosecution in Hungary for the time being.

Magyar, who leads the Tisza (Respect and Freedom) Party, has emerged as a significant political rival to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The Hungarian authorities had sought to waive his immunity to pursue charges related to an alleged mobile phone theft and two defamation cases.

Allegations and Hungary's Pursuit of Charges

The requests from Hungarian authorities stemmed from several alleged incidents. These included:

• An alleged theft of a mobile phone in a Budapest nightclub.
• Two separate defamation cases, one initiated by former lawmaker György Simonka and another by the far-right Our Homeland Movement.

Hungarian prosecutors aimed to proceed with these legal actions against Magyar, who was formerly an insider within Orbán's ruling Fidesz party before breaking away to form his own political movement.

Committee's Rationale and Broader Implications

The JURI committee's decision to maintain Magyar's immunity was reportedly influenced by concerns over the political nature of the charges. Polish EPP MEP Michał Wawrykiewicz defended the committee's stance, suggesting that the Hungarian prosecutor's requests were 'politically motivated' and intended to 'destroy' Magyar and the Tisza Party. The rapporteur for the phone theft case, Polish Socialist MEP Krzysztof Śmiszek, recommended protecting Magyar's immunity, a recommendation that the JURI Committee approved.

In addition to Magyar, the committee also voted to maintain the immunity of two other MEPs facing proceedings initiated by Hungary: Klára Dobrev, leader of the Democratic Coalition, and Ilaria Salis, an Italian MEP. This collective decision has been interpreted by some as a protective measure against what they perceive as politically motivated legal actions from Budapest.

Political Reactions and Upcoming Plenary Vote

The committee's decision elicited strong reactions from Hungarian political figures. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took to Facebook to describe the outcome as 'shameful, disgraceful,' asserting that 'the leader of the opposition is Brussels' man.' He further stated that his Fidesz party would not permit Magyar to act as 'Brussels' governor' in Hungary. Fidesz MEP Kinga Gál criticized the decision, calling it a 'double standard and hypocrisy' that provides political protection. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó also weighed in, suggesting the decision exonerated a 'terrorist organization' in reference to Ilaria Salis.

While the JURI committee's recommendation is significant, the final decision on lifting parliamentary immunity rests with the full European Parliament. A plenary vote is anticipated during its October session. The committee's recommendations typically serve as a strong indicator of the plenary's eventual stance.