European Parliament Votes Today on Immunity for Key MEPs

URGENT UPDATE: The European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs is set to vote today on whether to lift the immunity of five Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), including Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar and Italian lawmaker Ilaria Salis. This vital decision could have immediate legal consequences for these politicians, as the outcome will be announced later today.

The vote comes amid rising tensions in Hungary, where Magyar faces three separate legal requests from the judiciary for allegations including theft and defamation. If the committee approves the requests, the full Parliament will later confirm or reject the decision, potentially allowing national authorities to initiate legal proceedings against the MEPs while they remain in office.

The Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) will conduct a secret ballot on these requests, with the future of the political careers of these MEPs hanging in the balance. Among the cases under scrutiny, Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party, claims the charges against him are politically motivated, aimed at undermining his party’s challenge to the ruling government of Viktor Orbán.

Magyar has previously been accused of throwing a man’s phone into the Danube River during a conflict in a Budapest nightclub, among other charges. He insists, “It’s obvious to everyone that this is a political issue… I have a clean record.” However, given the current political landscape, losing his immunity could expose him to serious legal repercussions.

In a parallel case, Ilaria Salis is facing scrutiny after her arrest in February 2023 during an anti-fascist demonstration in Budapest. Accused of assaulting far-right activists, Salis spent over 15 months in pre-trial detention under harsh conditions, leading to significant public outcry in Italy. “In Budapest, I would face a show trial… I could be sentenced to 24 years of hard prison for charges considered minor elsewhere,” she stated, emphasizing the dire implications of losing her immunity.

Additionally, Hungarian Socialist MEP Klára Dobrev is embroiled in a legal controversy, accused of public defamation related to a scandal involving senior officials. Last year, Hungary’s authorities requested the European Parliament to lift her immunity, underscoring the politically charged environment surrounding these cases.

The stakes are equally high for Polish MEPs Michał Dworczyk and Daniel Obajtek, both members of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party. They claim the requests for immunity waivers are also politically motivated, with Dworczyk alleging that he is facing consequences for a past cyberattack incident, while Obajtek contends he is being targeted for his opposition to religiously insensitive content.

As the voting unfolds, the outcomes of these cases could significantly influence the political dynamics within the European Parliament and beyond, with implications for the rule of law in Hungary and Poland.

Next Steps: The JURI Committee’s vote will set the stage for a plenary session where all MEPs will have the opportunity to weigh in. Observers are closely monitoring how party lines will be drawn, particularly among the European People’s Party (EPP), which may align with other factions in deciding the fate of these lawmakers.

Stay tuned for live updates as this story develops. The implications of today’s vote could resonate beyond the European Parliament, affecting national politics and the broader European landscape.