Hungary, accusations of corruption in the government: a phone call makes Orban tremble

Hungary, accusations of corruption in the government: a phone call makes Orban tremble. “The prime minister eliminated the judicial evidence”

“Tumultuous week in Budapest: Peter Magyara high but obscure Hungarian official, came from nowhere to upend his country's politics, threatening to topple Viktor Orban, once unassailable Hungarian populist leader”. Timeswhich reports the news of scandal which is lapping the government of Orban himself with consequences that could be worrying for the Hungarian leader. The story, linked to an alleged corruption case, arises from a published recording by Magyar himself, ex-husband of former Justice Minister Judit Varga and former member of Fidesz, Orban's party.

In the audiorecorded last year and which Magyar took to court and published on social media, we hear a conversation between Magyar and his ex-wife in which the woman, unaware of the recording, seems to admit a intervention by members of Orban's government to eliminate some evidence from court documents to hide their involvement in a corruption ring. Varga's words, according to Magyar, would nail Orban's chief of staff, Antal Roga'n, 52, a key government minister responsible for national security and considered a potential heir to Orban.

Magyar's numerous television and radio appearances and the accusations made against Orban and Rogan have made Magyar himself, 43, one of the most popular figures in Hungary, with polls giving him a theoretical 13% of the vote. The politician is the first member of Orban's inner circle in the Fidesz party to publicly break with him”, says the English newspaper. “Until a few weeks ago, Magyar was practically unknown. He now dominates the debate and headlines in Hungary, causing discomfort for Orban and the government,” said Anna Donath, a liberal MEP and leader of the Hungarian opposition quoted by the Times. A veteran Hungarian conservative, who has known Orban since they were both young dissidents under the communist regime of the 1980s, believes that dissent among the dominant Fidesz figures will be what leads to the fall of the government.