Péter Magyar (right) and Márton Melléthei-Barna (left)
On Thursday, Péter Magyar, the incoming prime minister, nominated Márton Melléthei-Barna, the legal director of the Tisza Party, to head the Ministry of Justice, hirado.hu reported. The decision has since been heavily criticized online.
Márton Melléthei-Barna—who is related to the future head of government, as he is Péter Magyar’s brother-in-law—will be responsible, as Minister of Justice, for restoring the rule of law and legal certainty. “He must ensure the establishment of a legal framework that enables the repatriation of EU funds to which the Hungarian people are entitled,” Péter Magyar wrote on his Facebook page.
The future minister will also be tasked with restoring the quality of legislation, ensuring the necessary transparency, and conducting appropriate levels of professional and public consultation, added Péter Magyar.
The decision drew criticism because one of the Tisza Party’s key campaign promises was to end the practice of appointing family members, friends, and associates to important positions, and instead ensure that such roles are filled strictly on a merit basis.
On May 1, Magyar reacted to online criticism in a video on his social media page:
“Some people are concerned about the family ties between a member of the government and the prime minister. That is understandable, and the situation has posed a serious dilemma for me as well,” he said, adding that strict rules would be introduced in the new government, and that these would apply to everyone, including him.
Ünnepi üzenet a magyar nemzethez 22 évvel Magyarország uniós csatlakozása után a TISZA-kormány működési elveiről. pic.twitter.com/omIjhDnPOl
— Magyar Péter (Ne féljetek) (@magyarpeterMP) May 1, 2026
He added that he was confident that his brother-in-law would prove that “it is worth taking the political risk so that the country can have an honest and outstanding lawyer and expert.”
Notably, the same position was previously held by Magyar’s ex-wife, Judit Varga. She served as Hungary’s Minister of Justice from 2019 to 2023. The new government is due to take office on May 9.
Via hirado.hu; Featured photo: MTI/Hegedüs Róbert
