The political battle between Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and former Prime Minister Viktor Orban has intensified over investigations into former government officials. Magyar accused Orban of using the state apparatus and security services to try to prepare a political coup against the “Tisa“ party.
According to Magyar, the pressure on the new government continues even after the election loss of “Fidesz“. Orban's party ruled Hungary for 16 years, before “Tisa“ to win the parliamentary elections in April 2026 and form the first government without Orbán since 2010.
The dispute over the asset recovery office
The new cabinet has established the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, which is supposed to investigate alleged misuse of state funds and take action to return public property. Orbán called the structure illegal and said that its employees could be prosecuted in a possible future government of “Fidesz“.
Magyar described these words as a direct threat against civil servants. “This is a threat that can lead to imprisonment,“ the prime minister said, quoted by RTL Hungary. He pointed out that the service's employees should be able to work without political pressure.
Orbán rejects the accusations and claims that the government's actions are part of a campaign to destroy “Fidesz“. At a meeting with party activists, he said that the investigations against former ministers are ultimately aimed at him. “They are shooting at me with a mortar“, the former prime minister was quoted as saying by “Telecom“.
Investigations against former ministers
The Hungarian parliament stripped Magyar and two former ministers from Orbán's governments of their immunity in September. Magyar is under separate investigation for allegedly taking and throwing a mobile phone into the Danube River. The prime minister called the case politically motivated.
Former Culture Minister Balazs Hanko is under investigation on suspicion of misappropriating more than 17 billion forints, or about $53.5 million, through the National Cultural Fund. Former National Development Minister Miklos Sestak is under investigation for allegedly receiving bribes to purchase used buses. Both deny any wrongdoing, Euronews reported.
In a separate political scandal, Magyar accused Orban's government of targeting security services against "Tisa" ahead of the election. He said the operation was aimed at discrediting the party and influencing the outcome of the vote. Orban and his allies deny the accusation.
Tensions between the two camps are likely to remain linked to investigations into alleged abuses and the new majority's attempts to dismantle Orban's political and economic legacy. To date, there has been no court decision establishing the guilt of the former prime minister or the former ministers involved.
Sources: rtl.hu, telex.hu, euronews.com