Hungarian prosecutors have arrested two former ministers from the administration of ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on corruption and embezzlement charges. The arrests follow Parliament’s decision to strip Balázs Hankó and Miklós Seszták of their legislative immunity, marking the first time former ministers from Orbán’s regime face legal accountability under newly elected Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
Immunity Stripped and Voluntary Surrender
The sequence of events leading to the high-profile detentions moved rapidly following parliamentary action. Lawmakers voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Balázs Hankó and Miklós Seszták, clearing the path for the public prosecutor’s office to act. Following formal summons, both men surrendered voluntarily to authorities, according to local media reports.
Under Hungarian legal procedure, detention orders allow authorities to hold suspects for up to 72 hours. During this initial window, investigating judges must review the case files to determine whether to extend the measures into formal pretrial detention. These proceedings represent a legal challenge to figures associated with Orbán’s government, which held power from 2010 until April 2026.
Multimillion-Forint Allegations Against Former Ministers
The charges leveled against the two former officials involve substantial sums of public and state-managed funds. Investigators allege that Balázs Hankó, who served as Minister for Culture and Innovation between 2024 and 2026, diverted money from state funds to finance political campaign expenditures. Authorities estimate the financial damage in that case at 17.3 billion forint, roughly equivalent to 47 million euros.
Meanwhile, Miklós Seszták faces allegations tied to a corruption scandal. Prosecutors accuse the former development minister, who held office from 2014 to 2018, of involvement in corruption surrounding the transport firm Volánbusz Zrt. Investigators state that the scheme funneled more than 11 billion forint—approximately 30 million euros—in bribes to state decision-makers.
Political Aftershocks and Divergent Narratives
The arrests have triggered sharp political reactions across Hungary’s polarized landscape. Prime Minister Péter Magyar framed the developments as a historic turning point for the nation’s legal standards. Writing on Facebook, Magyar stated, “After decades of lies, millions of Hungarians have for the first time experienced what a real regime change and equality before the law mean. Hungary is finally no longer a country where there are no consequences.” Magyar has previously asserted that corruption during Orbán’s final years in office drained between eight and ten percent of Hungary’s gross domestic product.
Conversely, Viktor Orbán characterized the government’s approach as tyranny, posting on social media that the administration was operating at a “new communist pace” where “the tyrant needs new victims every day.” Bertalan Havasi, a former spokesman for Orbán, went further by designating Hankó a “political prisoner.” Orbán has consistently denied failing to curb corruption during his tenure, setting the stage for protracted legal and political battles as the judicial process unfolds.
