The leader of the Fidesz-KDNP group in the European Parliament recalled that the EP’s legal committee is expected to decide on Tuesday whether to recommend lifting the immunity of three MEPs, including Péter Magyar and Klára Dobrev.
Deutsch noted that Magyar’s concern about his own immunity only arose after last summer’s scandal, when he allegedly behaved aggressively while intoxicated in a Budapest nightclub, stole a guest’s phone, and threw it into the Danube.
“He can only escape criminal prosecution by clinging to parliamentary immunity, and in this effort he has found allies in the European People’s Party’s coalition partners and in EPP leader Manfred Weber, who are prepared to protect him,” Deutsch said.
He argued that Tuesday’s decision will make it “clear as daylight” that Péter Magyar is beholden to his Brussels patrons and, in return, will serve their agenda “as an obedient servant.”
Political Bargain
According to Deutsch, Magyar struck a “dirty political deal” with Manfred Weber to preserve his immunity. “Tomorrow’s decision will be the fulfillment of this dirty bargain,” he said, adding that the unusually slow handling of the case suggests political maneuvering, and the vote could even be delayed due to its sensitivity.
The Fidesz politician accused the Tisza Party of consistently siding with Brussels against Hungary’s national interests, citing their support for the EU migration pact, scrapping the utility price cap, introducing tax hikes, and backing budget amendments that fund gender-sensitivity programs.
On Ruszin-Szendi
Commenting on reports that Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, the Tisza Party’s security policy expert and former Chief of Defence, attended public events while carrying a firearm, Deutsch said this represented “a reckless cult of violence.”
“There is no place in Hungarian public life for someone who turns up at civic events with a loaded firearm. This violent culture must be eliminated from public life. It is the Tisza Party’s duty to remove Ruszin-Szendi,” he stated.
