Hungary’s former ministers detained in corruption investigations
The arrests mark a prominent step in Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s pledge to investigate alleged corruption under Viktor Orban, while questions remain about due process and judicial independence.
Hungarian lawmakers have lifted the parliamentary immunity of former ministers Balazs Hanko and Miklos Sesztak, who were subsequently arrested and placed in pretrial detention in separate corruption investigations, Deutsche Welle reported.
The cases are a significant development in Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s pledge to investigate corruption under his predecessor, Viktor Orban, and recover assets. Earlier steps had been limited: some funding to Orban-aligned businesspeople was cut off, several people were questioned or arrested, and an asset-recovery agency had yet to begin operating.
Investigators allege that Hanko unlawfully allocated about €50 million from the National Cultural Fund in 2025 and 2026. Sesztak is alleged to have accepted about €30 million in bribes linked to public contracts between 2015 and 2018. The allegations remain under investigation and have not been proven.
The arrests come amid debate over the pace of accountability and the independence of Hungary’s justice system. Deutsche Welle reported criticism that Magyar’s comments on the cases may give the impression of getting ahead of judicial decisions, despite his stated support for judicial independence.
The government faces pressure to deliver accountability while ensuring investigations proceed independently and under the rule of law. The outcome of the cases, and whether the broader anti-corruption effort will meet that standard, remains uncertain.
