Hungary’s government has introduced a bill in parliament to establish a new anti-corruption office, fulfilling a key election pledge made by Prime Minister Peter Magyar. The proposed National Asset Protection and Recovery Office will function as an independent body to investigate alleged corruption and the misuse of public assets during the previous administration led by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Magyar has described the initiative, part of his broader anti-corruption campaign dubbed “Operation Purgatory,” as a crucial step toward restoring transparency and accountability in government.
According to the draft legislation, the new office will be responsible for identifying, tracing, and recovering assets that were unlawfully removed from public ownership, while also investigating the management of public assets. The office will be headed by a president and four deputies, three of whom must be prosecutors, with all appointments requiring parliamentary approval. The government argues that safeguarding public assets is essential not only for financial stability but also for strengthening democratic institutions.
The move comes as Hungary takes significant steps toward rebuilding trust with the European Union. Earlier on Friday, European Commission President announced that Hungary would join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), while the Council of the European Union approved the country’s national recovery plan. This advances the process of unlocking around €10 billion in previously frozen EU funds that had been withheld over concerns about corruption. Magyar welcomed the developments, calling them major milestones in his government’s reform agenda.
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