Hungary's Parliament Abolishes Sovereignty Office and Speaker Seizes PM's Mic

Hungary's parliament approved an amendment to terminate the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty, voting 135‑44 in favour. The office, created in December 2023 with broad investigative powers, had been criticised as a tool for autocratic control. Its dissolution implements a promise made by incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar during his pre‑election campaign.

In a related parliamentary episode, Speaker Agnes Forštofer withdrew the floor from Prime Minister Peter Magyar, marking the first time a speaker has taken a prime minister's speaking turn since Hungary’s first free elections in 1990. The incident highlighted internal procedural clashes within the governing party.