Hungary’s Magyar Defends Appointing Brother-in-Law as Justice Minister

Hungary’s incoming prime minister Péter Magyar has defended choosing his brother-in-law as the next justice minister, insisting that the appointment was made on merit as his government prepares to take office.

Márton Melléthei-Barna, a lawyer and long-time associate of Magyar, was announced as the head of the justice ministry in the incoming administration on Thursday. He is married to Magyar’s sister, Anna Ilona Melléthei-Barna. 

The move drew scrutiny, particularly as Magyar—who ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule last month in an electoral landslide—had campaigned on combatting corruption and restoring public trust in state institutions. 

Orbán’s right-wing Fidesz party was widely accused of placing loyalists in key public bodies, including the judiciary, during its time in power, triggering years-long clashes with the EU, which froze billions of euros in funds over rule-of-law concerns. 

But Magyar defended the appointment on Friday, saying it was based solely on merit. 

“My decision was based on his competence and commitment to the rule of law. It was not a political calculation, but a question of who could represent the programme of a functioning and humane Hungary with the greatest expertise and unwavering integrity,” he said in a video posted on Facebook. 

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‘Historic task’ 

Magyar, who heads the centre-right Tisza party, described restoring legal certainty and equality before the law as a “historic task,” saying he had sought a justice minister capable of handling the scale of the challenge facing the country’s institutions. 

The future PM acknowledged that the family connection posed “a serious dilemma” and that concerns about it were “understandable.” 

His sister, a long-serving judge, would suspend her judicial duties for the duration of both her husband’s ministerial role and his own time in office, Magyar added. 

“Many people have made sacrifices over the past two years for their country,” he said. “Now my sister is making another sacrifice to avoid even the appearance of an intertwining of branches of power.” 

Magyar’s 16-ministry government is expected to take office on May 9.