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Hungarian Parliament Approves Sweeping Anti‑Corruption Law to Reclaim Orbán‑Era Assets

The measure could unlock about €16 billion in frozen EU payments by expanding investigators’ powers and enabling state recovery of funds.

Overview

  • The parliament voted by a large margin on Tuesday June 23 to pass the law, with 142 deputies for, 39 against and three abstentions.
  • The law orders the dissolution of nonprofit asset‑management foundations that hold an estimated €8.5 billion in assets so the state can seek those funds back.
  • It significantly widens the national anti‑corruption authority’s powers to check officials’ asset declarations, ask courts to continue probes and suspend procurement to protect EU money.
  • The package is a central element of Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s ‘Operation Reinigendes Feuer,’ which also proposes a new Office for National Asset Recovery and fast constitutional changes to remove senior Orbán appointees.
  • Rights groups and legal experts warn the speed and methods risk due‑process safeguards while Brussels will now assess whether the steps meet conditions to release roughly €16 billion in EU funds, which could begin before year‑end if approved.