Justice Minister Judit Varga resigns

Judit Varga, Minister of Justice, is stepping down, Magyar Nemzet reports. On Tuesday, the pro-government newspaper reported that the Justice Minister will lead the Fidesz-KDNP European Parliament list in 2024. Judit Varga has told Magyar Nemzet:

"This task, much like my ministerial duties, requires a whole person, so I have already informed the Prime Minister of my intention to resign as of July 31. I believe that the right thing to do is to hand over the leadership of the Justice Ministry to someone who can concentrate on it one hundred per cent."

Varga said that the past four years were a great honour for her and it has been an uplifting feeling to represent Hungarian interests.

However, she did not confirm to Magyar Nemzet that she will be the leader of the Fidesz-KDNP list in next year's EP elections. She only said that it's true that she envisions her future in the European Parliament. According to Judit Varga, the stakes of next year's EP elections are high, a conservative turn must be achieved in the European institutions, and she intends to play an active role in this.

"The work doesn't stop!" Judit Varga wrote in her Facebook post a few hours after the Magyar Nemzet interview was published, without mentioning her resignation.

Judit Varga was appointed Minister of Justice in 2019, replacing László Trócsányi, who also became an MEP. At the time, Viktor Orbán reacted to her appointment with a joint photo of them toasting, with the comment:

"We have just signed a new striker. Good job, Madam Minister!"

The press has written much about Judit Varga's private life recently: in March it was revealed that she was divorcing her husband, Péter Magyar, who was formerly CEO of Diákhitel Központ (Student Loan Centre). The couple had previously been in the spotlight because of a 10 million HUF loan ("CSOK", the loan they took for the house could only be requested for a permanent home, but they used it for their summer house – TN) they had taken for their house by Lake Balaton. In May this year, it was found that Judit Varga had repaid the loan.

Varga's name has also come up in the Schadl-Völner case, (the biggest corruption case of recent times in Hungary) with the former state secretary (Pál Völner) accused of corruption saying in court that the Justice Minister kept a close eye on the bailiffs' cases. It also emerged that Varga had met with György Schadl, the former President of the Court Bailiffs.

To see what Judit Varga had to say about the corruption case and its links to her ministry, watch our subtitled video: