The Hungarian parliament voted to strip Prime Minister Péter Magyar of his parliamentary immunity following a formal request from prosecutors regarding an alleged theft incident in a Budapest nightclub. Lawmakers approved the measure with 139 votes in favor and zero opposed or abstaining, according to the Hungarian news agency MTI and the Bulgarian News Agency BTA.
Parliamentary Immunity Vote and Protests
Péter Magyar, who serves as both prime minister and a member of parliament, explicitly asked lawmakers to lift his immunity ahead of the vote, stating that he takes full responsibility for his actions. The prosecution’s request arrived following the reopening of an investigation into an event from June 2024. Prosecutors allege that Magyar took a man’s mobile phone and intentionally threw it into the Danube River after the man filmed him inside a Budapest venue.
In a video statement published to his Facebook page, Magyar urged parliament to remove his protections immediately. He maintained that he is fully prepared to cooperate with investigators and that there is no cause for concern. Magyar characterized the phone incident as a deliberate provocation engineered by the former Hungarian government.
Investigation Timeline into the Budapest Nightclub Incident
The legal scrutiny centers entirely on the June 2024 altercation involving the cellular phone. Lawmakers acted swiftly on the prosecutor’s petition, convening a special session where the 139-to-zero vote cleared the path for formal questioning and potential charges. Under Hungarian law, the removal of parliamentary immunity allows authorities to proceed with criminal proceedings related to allegations that can be legally classified as theft.
Magyar has consistently rejected the validity of the accusations, reiterating in his public statements that the confrontation was staged to damage his political standing.
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