Orbán Says He Will Face Corruption Probe As Hungary Prepares For New Government (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief reporting from Budapest, Hungary

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday he is ready to face justice if prosecuted over alleged corruption accusations and defended his record as Hungary’s longest-serving government leader in recent history.

The outgoing prime minister appeared on Hungarian rapper Dopeman’s podcast just weeks after drawing attention by saying he met in Washington while U.S. President Donald Trump was considering military action against Iran.

Orbán, 62, claimed during an earlier appearance on the same online program that Trump asked whether he should attack the Islamic Republic, but declined to disclose the specific advice he gave during their apparent interaction.

The remarks fueled reactions on social media, with commentator Matt Rice writing: “Sorry, but seeking military advice from a Hungarian is like asking a dog how to breakdance.”

In Friday’s podcast, Orbán, a longtime Trump ally, made clear he had no regrets about his roughly 20 years as prime minister, including 16 consecutive years since returning to power in 2010. He spoke as opinion polls suggested many Hungarians support investigations into allegations involving corruption and reported abuse of children in state institutions during his tenure.

IMMUNITY QUESTION

Dopeman said it was “a cool thing” for Orbán not to take up his parliamentary mandate, which would have granted him immunity from prosecution.

“I will face any investigation. Sorry, I am an honest man, I did my job honestly,” Orbán declared, adding that he could be questioned “about any matter.”

He said he was happy “to fight everywhere,” but did not consider Parliament “a suitable field for this now.”

Orbán recalled that after his 2002 election defeat, he sat in the National Assembly as an opposition member “but did not speak for three years” because there was no opportunity to “meaningfully” participate in debate. “I don’t want to sit again there in silence in Parliament for the coming years,” he added.

His remarks came after the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said it stands ready to cooperate with Hungary if the country joins the body.

EU FUNDING CONCERNS

Its chief, Laura Kövesi, said the timeline depends largely on legislative steps in Budapest, but cautioned that the office only has a mandate to investigate potential misuse of European Union funds in cases dating back to 2017. Orbán returned to power in 2010.

Concerns about alleged corruption involving Orbán family members and associates, along with rule-of-law disputes, led the European Union to freeze or delay up to 35 billion euros ($41 billion) in funding allocated to Hungary.

Orbán said Friday there had been many “false allegations” against him and others. He also expressed outrage that Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, chairman of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP), had been accused of abusing children.

“The most painful and at the same time humanly most vile thing was that Semjén, an honest man, was accused of crimes committed against minors. I would put my hand in the fire for Semjén. I could not imagine a more honest person, and it is obvious that the purpose of these fake scoundrels is to discredit Hungarian Christian democracy,” Orbán stressed.

In a more positive development for Orbán, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, announced Friday it had cleared Orbán-appointed Hungarian Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi following an investigation into an alleged spying network in Brussels targeting EU staff.

SPYING ALLEGATIONS

Hungary has long faced accusations of placing intelligence officers posing as diplomats within institutions such as the European Commission between 2012 and 2018.

Additionally, Orbán’s government has been accused of sharing sensitive information with Russia, allegations it strongly denies.

The decision means Várhelyi can remain in his role as European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.

Friday’s announcement came a day before Hungary’s incoming prime minister, Péter Magyar, was due to take office following his landslide election victory last month.

The marathon podcast conversation reportedly also touched on why Orbán’s ruling center-right Fidesz lost the election, criticism surrounding campaign strategy, and challenges in reaching younger generations online.

CHRISTIAN VALUES

Yet Orbán urged supporters to continue believing in what he described as Christian national values.

“I wanted to make Hungary a free, independent, sovereign nation within 20 years. I managed four-fifths of that plan,” he said, while admitting he failed to convince many younger voters through social media platforms such as TikTok.

The government under Orbán also established a secretariat to support persecuted Christians, though its future remains uncertain under Magyar’s incoming administration.

He also expressed hope that the next generation of leaders would not dismantle what he said had been built over the past decade and a half, despite criticism of his perceived authoritarian governing style.

Magyar, 45, has already faced pressure over his attempt to appoint his brother-in-law, Márton Melléthei-Barna, as justice minister. Melléthei-Barna later declined the post this week to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

NEW GOVERNMENT

On Friday, Magyar announced that he had asked Márta Görög, dean of the Faculty of Political Science and Law at the University of Szeged, to become justice minister.

He described her as the “uncrowned queen” of Hungary’s legal world.

With only hours remaining before handing over power to Magyar, Orbán said he would seek to renew his center-right Fidesz party, though it remains unclear whether he will be re-elected party leader during a congress scheduled for June 13.

The prime minister is also expected to travel to the United States, where his daughter and son-in-law have reportedly moved to New York City.

Officially, Orbán has said he plans to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the world’s largest football event, which will take place from June 11 to July 19 across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

While Orbán’s future remains uncertain, he has become one of the best-known conservative voices within Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, a concept Orbán said he hoped to adapt for Europe, which he argued is under threat from non-Christian ideologies.

Yet for now, the political career that began when Orbán, as a young activist in 1989, demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary appears set to end Saturday.

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