Hungarian Minister Accuses Former Justice Minister of Seeking Favors for Husband
Budapest – A political firestorm is brewing in Hungary after Lázár János, the country’s Minister of Construction and Transport, publicly alleged that former Justice Minister Varga Judit requested his assistance in securing a well-paying job for her then-husband, Magyar Péter. The claims, made during a public forum in Battony on Monday, , have ignited a fierce exchange between Lázár and the Tisza Party, founded by Magyar.
According to Lázár, Varga approached him and stated that her husband needed to earn a minimum of three million forints. He further stated that Magyar Péter was employed by companies affiliated with him, including Közút (the national road operator), and that Varga had essentially used her position to secure advantageous employment for her husband. “She came to me and said that her husband needed to earn at least three million. Some people lived like that, and some people were happy that way. That her husband could get a paid job because of her. And since she was my ministerial colleague, and my colleague, what could I have said?” Lázár reportedly said.
The Tisza Party swiftly responded to Lázár’s accusations, dismissing him as a “clown,” a “liar,” and a “thief.” In a statement to Telex, the party vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that Magyar Péter held positions based on his market value, unlike Lázár, whom they accused of accumulating 49 properties, including a castle. The party also pointedly noted that Lázár appeared to be confessing to a crime.
Here’s not the first time Magyar Péter’s employment history has come under scrutiny. Varga Judit herself, in a widely publicized interview with Hajdú Péter, previously claimed that Magyar benefited from her ministerial position to obtain board memberships and supervisory roles in state-owned companies. These earlier allegations, as reported by Telex, were described as a textbook example of nepotism.
The accusations come amidst a broader context of political upheaval in Hungary. Magyar Péter, now leading the Tisza Party, has emerged as a significant challenger to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s long-standing rule. His rise has been marked by a willingness to openly criticize the government, a stance that was reportedly met with skepticism and derision from within the Fidesz party, as detailed in a report by Direkt36.
Máté Kocsis, the leader of the Fidesz parliamentary faction, previously acknowledged a pattern of such arrangements within the Orbán government. In a prior interview, Kocsis stated that Magyar “was left by his wife, lost the jobs his wife had secured for him, and therefore wants revenge.” This admission, while framing the situation as a personal grievance, implicitly confirmed the practice of leveraging political connections for personal gain.
The current exchange between Lázár and the Tisza Party underscores the increasingly acrimonious political climate in Hungary, as the country prepares for future elections. The allegations of nepotism and the accusations of dishonesty are likely to further fuel the debate surrounding corruption and the abuse of power within the ruling Fidesz party.
