The government has launched a comprehensive series of political, legal and economic actions to clean up public life in Hungary. Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced the „Cleansing Fire” operation in parliament on Monday, aiming to dismantle corruption networks, recover state assets and completely transform the public legal system.
In his speech before the agenda, Péter Magyar called the announcement of historic significance, drawing a parallel with the 2026 elections. The Prime Minister used harsh words to refer to the previous government terms, comparing the corruption that has engulfed the country to the way the Italian mafia operates. „I consider this to be my main task,” the Prime Minister stated.
The first step: Legal cleanup
The Prime Minister announced that the first step in the purge will be to submit the seventeenth amendment to the Fundamental Law. This legislative change will allow the removal of political appointees from the previous government, which the Prime Minister said is essential for dismantling mafia-like connections.
As part of the process, the government will also initiate the termination of the mandate of President of the Republic Tamás Sulyok. In addition, the amendment to the Fundamental Law will affect the operation of the Constitutional Court: the age limit of 70 will be reinstated, which will also eliminate the immunity of judges, and the rules for electing the presidents of the Curia and the National Judicial Office will be reformed, strengthening judicial self-administration. In addition, the Prime Minister proposes to maximize the duration of parliamentary mandates at 12 years.
NVVH: The new bastion of systemic protection
The central element of Operation "Cleansing Fire" is the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NAPO) The organization, established by amending 47 laws, will operate completely independently of the government, reporting exclusively to the National Assembly.
The office will consist of the country's best professionals - police officers, investigators, lawyers, tax inspectors and IT specialists - and its leaders will receive special police protection. According to Péter Magyar, the NVVH will not only uncover past abuses, but will also be able to prevent future ones.
New Constitution – With Social Dialogue
The Prime Minister announced that instead of the current Fundamental Law, which has been amended many times, a comprehensive constitutional process based on social consultation will be launched from September. The goal is to create a fundamental law within a year that will outlast parties and prime ministers and be ratified by the Hungarian people in a referendum.
Fierce parliamentary debates
Following the announcement, the opposition reacted violently. The leader of the Mi Hazánk parliamentary group, László Toroczkai, welcomed the anti-corruption efforts, but rejected the label of his party as a „mafia party” and the reduction of checks and balances. Bence Rétvári (KDNP) criticized the tone of the Prime Minister’s speech, while Gergely Gulyás (Fidesz) accused the government of „collective guilt” and called the planned reform of the judiciary pointless.
The government plans to soon launch a social dialogue on amending the Fundamental Law and establishing the NVVH, giving citizens the opportunity to share their suggestions.
