Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government secured a landmark victory on Monday as Hungary’s parliament, in an unprecedented show of unity, voted unanimously to slash lawmakers’ salaries by 40 per cent. The move, effective from next month, reduces the basic monthly wage for deputies from €6,150 to €3,690 gross, a decision framed by the ruling Tisza party as both a fiscal necessity and a symbolic strike against corruption .
The vote, supported by all 189 MPs present, marks a sharp break with the legacy of former premier Viktor Orbán, whose administration was repeatedly accused of using high salaries to placate opposition deputies . Magyar, whose party stormed to power in the April 12 elections, had long criticised the practice. “It is about modesty,” he said last month, defending the measure as a contribution to easing public finances and reinforcing the government’s image of probity .
The salary cut is expected to save enough to cover a full year of parliamentary operating costs, according to the conservative majority . Analysts see the move as part of a broader effort by Magyar’s government to distance itself from Orbán’s polarising legacy and restore public trust in institutions. The decision follows the prime minister’s earlier pledge to reduce administrative costs and curb perceived graft.
Yet the political climate remains tense. On Sunday, opposition MP György Balla challenged Magyar directly in parliament, demanding that the prime minister appear in person to accuse him of being a criminal . Balla’s remarks came amid a widening rift between the government and critics who accuse it of selectively targeting former Fidesz officials. In a conciliatory gesture, Fidesz-aligned commentator Krisztián Lentulai apologised to Péter Magyar’s mother for December posts that he admitted were capable of “suggesting falsehoods” .
Magyar himself has not shied from controversy. In a social media exchange on Monday, he criticised fellow MP Péter Takács for posting about “a man’s dream” of a “beer belly man,” a comment he said was unworthy of an elected representative’s salary . The remark underscored the prime minister’s combative style, which has drawn both praise for its directness and criticism for its divisiveness.
With the salary cut now law, attention turns to whether the government can sustain its reformist momentum. The move has been widely welcomed by international observers as a step toward fiscal responsibility, but sceptics question whether symbolic gestures alone can address deeper concerns about governance and accountability in Hungary.