Hungary parliament votes to revoke withdrawal from ICC
Budapest, May 27
Hungary's National Assembly on Wednesday voted under a special procedure on a bill to revoke the country's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.
The bill was approved with 133 votes in favour, 37 against and five abstentions. The decision will take effect on the day following the promulgation of the law.
The Hungarian government said in an official gazette on May 22 that it would revoke the decision to withdraw from the ICC, as well as terminate measures related to ending the Rome Statute and agreements on the court's privileges and immunities.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar submitted the bill to parliament on Tuesday on behalf of the government, Xinhua news agency reported. Hungary had previously taken steps to withdraw from the ICC. The government announced its decision to withdraw from the ICC on April 3, 2025.
The parliament later voted in favour of the withdrawal on May 20 of the same year.
Hungary's new government led by Prime Minister Peter Magyar took the oath of office in parliament on May 12.
Country's President Tamas Sulyok formally appointed the ministers of the new government.
Addressing parliament, Magyar said the new administration would focus on restoring public trust, improving governance, and rebuilding Hungary's international ties.
"Our goal is to build a functioning and humane Hungary," Magyar said. "The Tisza government will serve the nation, not the Prime Minister."
He said the government would operate with "clear lines of responsibility and transparent decision-making," to restore confidence in state institutions.
Magyar also pledged to strengthen Hungary's relations with Western allies while continuing to defend national interests within the European Union and NATO.
He said four ministries, the Finance Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Education and Children's Affairs Ministry, and the Justice Ministry, would play a central role in the government and that their ministries would hold veto power within the cabinet.
In parliamentary elections held on April 12, the Tisza Party defeated the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition led by Viktor Orban, winning a two-thirds majority in parliament.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an American following this, it's wild how quickly Hungary changed its mind after the election. The new PM seems to be realigning with Western allies, but I wonder if this is genuine or just optics. For India, which also values its autonomy in global institutions, this might be a lesson in not rushing into such decisions.
PM Magyar saying "serve the nation, not the Prime Minister" is quite a statement! In India, we also talk about institutional trust a lot. But revoking ICC withdrawal so soon after wanting to leave? Feels like political instability. Europe needs consistent foreign policy, yaar. Hope they don't set a bad precedent for other nations.
This is a classic example of how international law gets entangled with domestic politics. Hungary's flip-flop could weaken the ICC's credibility, which is already shaky. India has always been wary of the ICC's potential to infringe on national sovereignty. But honestly, this constant back-and-forth isn't good for global justice. Respectful criticism: Magyar should clarify if this is pro-Western alignment or just pragmatism.
From a Western perspective, this looks like a positive step for EU unity, but I get why Indians might be skeptical. The ICC has its flaws, and it's not always fair to developing nations. Still, Hungary's rapid about-face raises questions about how stable their foreign policy really is under the new government. Let's see if this lasts.
All these European political dramas are fascinating for us in India, where our foreign policy is more consistent, especially on things like the
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