Hungary's incoming Prime Minister Péter Magyar has defended his decision to appoint his brother-in-law, Márton Melléthei-Barna, as Minister of Justice, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the now-opposition Fidesz party. Magyar's Tisza party won a landslide victory in the 12 April parliamentary elections, ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule.
In a roughly six-minute video posted to social media, Magyar outlined his priorities: "We need to start putting our country back on track, bringing home EU funds, kick-starting the economy and improving public services. As well as healing the wounds of the past decades, reuniting the Hungarian nation and of course bringing justice to those who committed the crimes of the past regime."
Appointment Under Fire
Melléthei-Barna, a lawyer and university peer of Magyar, was one of the ten founding members of the Tisza Party in 2020 and has served as its legal director. He has also held roles such as head of various sub-units and party representative on the National Election Committee during the 2024 European Parliament elections. Magyar praised his qualifications: "The future justice minister's domestic and international career, high quality work and vision are unquestionable."
Magyar acknowledged that Melléthei-Barna is married to his sister, Anna Ilona, calling it "a serious dilemma for me." He said concerns over a family relationship within the government are "understandable" and announced that his sister would be suspended from her position as a judge. "He has been part of our movement for regime change from the very beginning, shaping and driving our operations and programme... Long after joining our community, he joined his life with that of my sister. For this reason, I naturally consider it particularly important that his work be as public as possible and that all his decisions be transparent," Magyar added.
Melléthei-Barna's appointment was among the last two ministerial posts announced, alongside Gábor Pósfai as Interior Minister.
Resetting Relations with Brussels
Magyar campaigned on a promise to clean up Hungarian politics and restore checks and balances eroded under Orbán. He also pledged a reset with the European Union. On Wednesday, he held high-level meetings in Brussels, including with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to discuss unlocking billions of euros in frozen EU funds. Hungary risks losing around €10 billion in post-pandemic funds unless a deal is reached before an August deadline. Magyar will return to Brussels for an official visit on 25 May, once in office.
Hungary is also the only EU member state still awaiting approval for its large-scale defence plan, known as SAFE, which would be financed through low-interest European loans worth about €16 billion. Brussels reportedly held back on a decision pending the election outcome. While promising that "EU funds will soon start arriving in Hungary," Magyar stressed that the cash, tied to rule-of-law reforms, will not come at the expense of Hungary's national interest.
Earlier this week, Magyar offered to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "open a new chapter in bilateral relations," a sharp departure from Orbán's confrontational stance. Orbán had repeatedly used Hungary's veto power to stall financial aid to Ukraine and block its EU membership. Magyar proposed a meeting in early June, symbolically in Berehove, a Ukrainian city with a Hungarian majority.
Hungary's new government is due to take office on 9 May, which is also observed as Europe Day.
