Justice Minister resigns
June 30th, 2023Opinions diverge on whether Ms Judit Varga was dismissed by the Prime Minister or becoming an MEP will be the start of a new career for her.
In a sarcastic note on the Magyar Hang website, István Dévényi writes that Ms Varga was too busy defending Hungary’s interests in the government’s feud with the European Commission to notice what was going on in her own Ministry. He mentions scandals that could have led to Ms Varga’s dismissal, including the case of the Pegasus spyware the use of which was authorised by the second in command in the Justice Ministry on Ms Varga’s behalf, as well as the ongoing trial where the same former State Secretary, Pál Völner stands accused of taking bribes from the head of a judicial officers’ Mafia (see BudaPost, November 10, 2021, and December 10, 2021).
Pro-government analyst Zoltán Kiszelly told ATV that Ms Varga has been given an important mission as the lead Fidesz candidate for next year’s European Parliamentary election and as a future MEP. She has been responsible for relations with the EU as Justice Minister and as such is not a novice in European Affairs. If she proves successful on the European stage, Kiszelly said, she may be in for an important career in international relations.
Tags: Judit Varga, Pegasus, Völner