Serious accusations

Recording leak puts Orbán’s government under pressure

The audio recording is intended to compromise the right-wing nationalist government of Viktor Orban.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Sameer Al-Doumy)

An audio recording released by the ex-husband of the former Hungarian justice minister is putting pressure on confidants of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. They are alleged to have manipulated investigation files in one of the biggest corruption scandals in Hungary. On Tuesday evening, thousands of people demonstrated against the government in Budapest.

The case revolves around bribes that Pal Völner, the former state secretary in the Ministry of Justice, is alleged to have accepted from György Schadl, the president of the Hungarian Chamber of Bailiffs. Both have therefore been charged with corruption.

In the recording made public on Tuesday, which dates back to January 2023, the then Minister of Justice Judit Varga talks to Peter Magyar - at the time her husband, now a harsh critic of the government - about the corruption case.

Judit Varga defends herself against the accusations made by her ex-husband.

(Bild: APA/AFP/ATTILA KISBENEDEK)

Files of the public prosecutor's office manipulated
Varga admits on the recording that the files of the public prosecutor's office were manipulated by Orban's closest confidant, the head of cabinet Antal Rogan, also known as the "propaganda minister". Rogan is said to have made suggestions to the prosecutors as to what should be deleted from the court files, but these suggestions were not always followed, according to Varga.

Court bailiff president Schadl was the "man" of Rogan and Minister of the Chancellery Gergely Gulyas. "Why didn't they save him?" asks Magyar. Varga replies: "They had no other options, that's the problem."

The audio recording was published on YouTube with English subtitles:

State Secretary was informed in advance
In the recording, the Minister of Justice also admitted that State Secretary Völner had been informed in advance of the proceedings against him. At the same time, Varga complained that the employees of the public prosecutor's office were not completely controlled by the ruling Fidesz party: Attorney General Peter Polt was "not in control of the situation" within his institution, the justice minister said verbatim.

According to Magyar, he had recommended that his wife Varga resign from her post immediately before the secret recording was launched. She responded by saying that it was a "mafia" from which one could not resign. That is why he decided to record the rest of the conversation, the opposition politician, who also works as a lawyer, said prior to publication. However, the statements mentioned are not included in the recording.

Varga: "Was blackmailed"
Immediately after the audio was published, Varga responded with a long post on Facebook. Magyar had been "blackmailing" her with the recording for a year, the former minister wrote. Over the course of their 16-year marriage, he had also used verbal and physical aggression against her, she accused him.

According to a report on the Telex.hu website, Prime Minister Orban did not want to comment on the case, while his confidant Gergely Gulyas, who heads the state chancellery, stated that it was a "family dispute" that had "no place" in public.

Magyar is a fierce critic of the government and has announced his intention to found a political party.

(Bild: AP)

The lawyer in front of the public prosecutor's office in Budapest on Tuesday

(Bild: AP)

Formerly in the Fidesz circle, now an opponent of the government
Amid great media interest, Magyar traveled to the public prosecutor's office on Tuesday to testify as a witness in the case and, according to his own statements, to present evidence for his allegations. Magyar, a lawyer, worked for a long time as an official in the circle of Orban's ruling party Fidesz, including as head of the Center for Student Loans. However, since the resignation of President Katalin Novak in February due to a pardon in a paedophilia scandal, which also forced Varga to withdraw from politics, he has been massively attacking the government.

Thousands at demonstration in Budapest
Magyar had also spontaneously called for a demonstration in Budapest on Tuesday evening, which was attended by thousands of people, reported the online portal "24.hu". The crowd initially gathered in front of the General Prosecutor's Office building and demanded the resignation of General Prosecutor Peter Polt. In his speech, Magyar emphasized that this was not a left-wing or right-wing demonstration, but rather the Hungarian people declaring that enough is enough. 

At the demonstration, Magyar once again lashed out at the Hungarian government.

(Bild: AP)

The demonstrators marched on to Vertanuk Square carrying torches and flags. According to Magyar, Hungary is ruled by a mafia, with Orban at the top. At the same time, the lawyer questioned in his speech why there is jurisdiction when Orban's cabinet chief Rogan decides which investigative material is presented to a court. In his speech, Magyar went on to demand: "This far and no further, let's put pressure on the government."

Wants to found a party
Magyar announced another demonstration for April 6, this time on Kossuth Square in front of the parliament. On 15 March, the national holiday commemorating the revolution of 1848, the aspiring opposition politician was able to mobilize tens of thousands for a demonstration against the Orban government. If he founds his own party, as announced, he could hope for up to nine percent of the vote in an election, according to polling institutes.