Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has announced that the severance pay owed to Viktor Orbán’s former ministers will be donated to a Ukrainian children’s home. As reported by TVP World, this move marks a decisive start to Magyar’s tenure as he begins a comprehensive audit of the previous administration’s conduct.
Under Hungarian law, outgoing ministers and their deputies are entitled to substantial compensation packages. In this instance, the total sum reached nearly 1 billion Hungarian forints (approximately 2.8 million euros). Magyar, who has heavily criticized the former Fidesz government for systemic corruption, ballooning national debt, and the misappropriation of state funds, argued that the outgoing officials have no moral right to these public resources.
“I call on the ministers who destroyed our country and plunged it into debt not to even think about taking this money,” Magyar stated. The funds are earmarked for a facility near Hungary’s eastern border, which supports the local Ukrainian-speaking community. This symbolic gesture reflects a broader shift in Budapest’s policy, moving away from the isolationist tendencies of the previous 16 years toward a more constructive stance on regional humanitarian issues.
Despite the new cabinet’s efforts to break with the past, Viktor Orbán has resisted surrendering his own benefits. As a former Prime Minister and MP, he is eligible for over 100,000 euros in compensation, alongside continued access to a state-funded office and a chauffeured vehicle. Magyar’s actions highlight the intensifying struggle to dismantle the patronage networks left behind by the Orbán era. As the new administration navigates these reforms, the international community is closely watching how Hungary will redefine its role in European security and its relationship with Ukraine, amid a challenging economic climate characterized by 26% inflation and high debt-to-GDP levels.