Hungary: government in trouble over audio recording?
An audio recording from January 2023 released by Hungarian politician Péter Magyar allegedly compromises members of the Orbán government. In the recording of a conversation between Magyar and his ex-wife Judit Varga, who was Minister of Justice at the time, Varga describes how government officials caused evidence to be removed from court investigation files to protect Orbán loyalists against corruption charges. A tricky situation, commentators surmise.
Now we'll see whether rule of law still exists
Much depends on how the authorities handle the case, says Válasz Oonline:
“The big question now is whether we can expect an impartial, complete investigation in this specific case. The situation is not made any easier by the fact that the Office of the Prosecutor General is basically investigating itself, and there is no special investigative authority in Hungary that specialises in corruption cases and works completely separately from the other institutions of the judiciary. The handling of the case by the authorities will therefore provide an answer to the most important question of public interest which this case poses: whether the rule of law still exists in Hungary.”
Dangerous mix of politics and private life
Hvg spotlights doubts about Péter Magyar:
“ Eleven days after Magyar's flag-raising ceremony we still don't know whether there is anyone who would stand behind him on an imaginary party list. ... How does Magyar intend to restore the rule of law? And is he even up to the task if he brings what he considers a game-changing recording to the Prosecutor General's office 15 months late? Didn't he have a problem with the mafia state before the divorce? In the drama unfolding before our eyes, privacy has become politics and politics has become a private showdown.”