Corruption investigations involving municipal leaders in Romania and Hungary

In Romania, István Kócza, the suspended mayor of Érbogyoszló, is seeking a plea bargain to avoid imprisonment following his arrest for accepting bribes in May. While Kócza does not deny the charges, he claims he was set up. If the court approves the plea deal, he may avoid prison but will likely face a two-year ban from holding public office, which could prevent him from running in the 2028 local elections.

In Hungary, László Kiss, the mayor of Óbuda, has raised questions regarding potential political interference and evidence manipulation in his corruption case. Kiss, who spent nine months in detention, has questioned former head of the Central Investigative Prosecutor's Office, Pál Fürcht, about the motivations behind his arrest and the potential involvement of politician Gyula Budai. Kiss suggests the investigation may have been politically motivated to extract testimony involving other opposition mayors, including Gergely Karácsony. The case involves allegations of accepting 18 million forints in bribes and revolves around inflated or fictitious municipal contracts.