A European Parliament committee has rejected a Hungarian request to lift the parliamentary immunity of Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s principal rival, after Budapest sought to bring charges including theft of a mobile phone and defamation.
The decision was taken in a closed-door vote of the Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) on Tuesday, 23 September. A final decision is expected to go before the full Parliament at its October plenary.
The committee’s recommendation means Magyar remains protected from prosecution in Hungary while he serves as an MEP. Orbán criticised the outcome, describing it on Facebook as “shameful, disgraceful,” and asserted that “the leader of the opposition is Brussels’ man.”
Hungary’s authorities asked the Parliament to waive immunity so prosecutors could pursue allegations stemming from two matters: an alleged theft at a Budapest nightclub and alleged defamation of a Fidesz politician. Magyar has emerged over the past year as the most significant challenger to Orbán since 2010, having left the ruling party’s orbit and built Tisza into a national force following the 2024 European elections. Polling through 2025 has shown periods in which Tisza has drawn level with or ahead of Fidesz among decided voters, though the lead has varied across survey houses. National elections are due in April 2026.
JURI members also voted to maintain the immunity of two other MEPs targeted by Hungarian proceedings. Klára Dobrev, leader of the Democratic Coalition, had faced a request linked to a domestic defamation case. Italian MEP Ilaria Salis, who was jailed for more than a year in Hungary over her alleged role in assaults by antifascist activists in 2023 before winning a seat in the European Parliament, likewise retained immunity. Hungarian prosecutors had sought her return to stand trial, with an 11-year sentence reportedly pursued.
David Cormand, a French Green MEP, said he voted to uphold Salis’s immunity, arguing the Parliament should not be used “as a tool for intimidation.” His comments reflect a wider view among critics of the Hungarian government that criminal complaints against prominent opposition figures risk blurring the line between law enforcement and political contest.
Under Parliament procedures, requests from national authorities to waive immunity are assessed by JURI, which appoints a rapporteur and examines whether the alleged conduct is connected to an MEP’s duties or is manifestly vexatious. The committee’s recommendation then proceeds to a plenary vote. Euronews reported that Tuesday’s ballots were conducted by secret vote, with the plenary stage scheduled in October.
Orbán’s post drew attention to the domestic stakes. Hungary’s economy has faced prolonged inflationary pressure and weak growth, conditions that have coincided with Tisza’s rapid ascent and a more competitive polling environment. Surveys this year have diverged: several independent pollsters have at times placed Tisza ahead among decided voters, while others — including a survey by McLaughlin & Associates — have shown Fidesz leading. The dispersion underscores a volatile pre-election landscape.
Magyar, a former insider in ruling-party circles, broke with Fidesz to form an alternative centre-right vehicle and has sought to consolidate opposition forces ahead of the 2026 vote. His status as an MEP affords immunity for opinions expressed or votes cast in the exercise of his duties, and broader protection from arrest or legal proceedings unless waived by Parliament — a safeguard designed to prevent pressure from national authorities. The committee’s move does not assess guilt or innocence; it weighs the institutional criteria for lifting protection.
Salis’s case has been closely watched in Italy and Brussels. After her election to the European Parliament granted immunity, Hungarian authorities maintained their request for her extradition to continue proceedings. By keeping her immunity in place, JURI signalled that any prosecution should await a parliamentary waiver, which it is not recommending.
The Hungarian government has frequently clashed with EU institutions over rule-of-law matters, media freedom and the independence of the judiciary. In recent months, the political environment has been shaped by rights legislation and high-profile disputes ahead of the 2026 elections. The committee’s recommendation adds a European institutional layer to the domestic contest between Orbán’s Fidesz and the opposition, while leaving the final word to the full Parliament next month.
The plenary vote will determine whether the three MEPs continue to be shielded from national proceedings. Until then, the presumption is that their parliamentary immunity remains in force.
