Hungarian Parliament/Envato Market

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief, reporting from Budapest

BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s embattled Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suffered political setbacks after a European Parliament committee rejected his government’s request to strip immunity from prosecution from one of his main rivals, as anti-government protests drew tens of thousands of people in Budapest over the weekend.

The legislature’s legal affairs committee voted to protect the parliamentary immunity of Péter Magyar, leader of Hungary’s rising conservative Tisza Party, alongside opposition politician Klára Dobrev and Italian antifa activist-turned lawmaker Ilaria Salis. The ruling came amid concerns in Brussels about Hungary’s rule of law and judicial independence.

Hungarian prosecutors had accused Magyar of theft linked to a nightclub incident in Budapest, where he allegedly seized a guest’s phone during a scuffle and threw it into the Danube River. Witnesses claimed the politician had been intoxicated and was escorted from the venue in June last year, after a dispute with another guest.

Magyar, 44, denied wrongdoing, saying the confrontation was a setup by government provocateurs and that video evidence proves the accusations are false. He admitted to making “mistakes after an emotionally draining week” but insisted “not a single word of the government’s propaganda is true.” He vowed to sue outlets for spreading what he viewed as disinformation. Video footage seen by Worthy News showed him dancing with young women at the Ötkert Night Club.

Orbán’s ruling rightwing Fidesz party has also accused Magyar of defamation, fueling claims by critics that the government is using the judiciary to silence its opponents ahead of Hungary’s 2026 elections.

SALIS UNDER PRESSURE

Ilaria Salis, a 40-year-old Italian teacher and antifa activist, was imprisoned in Hungary for over a year after allegedly assaulting far-right demonstrators during a 2023 event in Budapest.

Her case drew international outcry over prison conditions and Hungary’s judicial practices.

In June 2024, she was elected to the European Parliament on the Green and Left Alliance ticket, which secured her release. Hungarian prosecutors now want her immunity lifted to proceed with the case, but she insists the charges are politically motivated. Her situation gained added attention after Prime Minister Orbán, 62, announced earlier this month that Hungary would formally designate antifa as a terrorist organization, a move he urged the European Union to adopt as well.

Antifa—short for “anti-fascist”—is a loosely organized left-wing activist movement known for confronting far-right groups, sometimes violently. Orbán’s government claims the movement represents a threat to public order, while rights groups warn that labeling it “terrorist” could criminalize legitimate dissent.

Klára Dobrev, a vice-president of the European Parliament and a leading member of the Democratic Coalition, is the wife of former Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány and a longtime critic of Orbán.

MAJOR DEFAMATION CASE

Hungarian authorities sought to lift her immunity in a defamation case tied to her comments about a ruling Fidesz child protection official. Dobrev had accused the official of remaining silent about a pedophile scandal in a Hungarian orphanage, sparking outrage in government ranks.

Before the vote, Dobrev urged fellow lawmakers not to allow “politically motivated prosecutions” to proceed in Hungary. “The independence of the Hungarian judiciary is gravely compromised,” she warned, saying cases against her, Magyar, and Salis were part of a broader campaign to intimidate opposition voices.

French Green MEP David Cormand welcomed the committee’s decision not to lift the immunity of the three politicians. “The European Parliament has today sent a clear message: it will not be used as a tool for intimidation by Viktor Orbán’s authoritarian regime. By protecting Ilaria Salis, we have protected the integrity of the European Parliament, democracy, and the rights of European citizens. This is a victory for the rule of law,” he said.

The Hungarian government condemned the decision, portraying it as political interference. Orbán’s international spokesman, Zoltán Kovács, said on the social media platform X that “The Brussels immunity scheme is in full swing.” Referring to Péter Magyar, he added that “the leader of the Tisza Party now has it in writing: he is Brussels’ captured man. According to the authorities, he committed a common criminal offense (theft) in Hungary and must answer before a court. But Brussels won’t allow it.”

PUBLIC PRESSURE MOUNTS

The committee’s move came just days after a major anti-government demonstration in Budapest. Organizers said more than 50,000 people filled Heroes’ Square, a well-known Budapest landmark, on Sunday, waving Hungarian and EU flags while chanting “Elég!” (“Enough!”) and “We want change!”

Reporters also noted “tens of thousands,” but police did not officially confirm these estimates.

Sunday’s rally targeted Orbán’s use of millions of euros in taxpayer-funded billboard campaigns and national consultations. Protesters accused the government of spreading propaganda instead of addressing everyday problems. Participants denounced “misleading government advertisements” and campaigns to “inflame hatred for political gain.”

Orbán, in office since 2010, has increasingly been accused by European Union officials and Hungary’s opposition of consolidating power through state media, weakening democratic institutions, and restricting basic freedoms. However, Orbán, a close ally of U.S. President Donald J. Trump, claims Brussels is targeting him for what he views as his “Christian, traditional family values” and anti-migration policies, as well as his opposition to supporting Ukraine militarily in its war against Russia.

The European Parliament’s move to shield Magyar, Dobrev, and Salis from prosecution further underscores the growing standoff between Brussels and Budapest as Hungary heads toward crucial elections next year. The final decision, however, still rests with the full European Parliament, which is expected to vote on the committee’s recommendation in the coming weeks.

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