Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has ordered the termination of a high-stakes lawsuit filed by the city of Budapest over a disputed “solidarity tax,” igniting fierce accusations of political interference just weeks before a pivotal national election.
The move, issued by decree, has drawn condemnation from the capital’s liberal mayor, who described it as an unprecedented strike at the heart of judicial independence — a charge that reverberates across a country already under scrutiny from Brussels.
Court Silent as Political Storm Brews
The Budapest Municipal Court declined to address the specifics of the case. In an emailed statement, the court said that in ongoing proceedings it is the presiding judge — guided by their judicial oath — who determines what procedural steps to take.
That carefully worded response landed like a pebble in turbulent waters. The dispute itself centers on a so-called “solidarity tax,” a payment Budapest is required to transfer to the central government. The city, led by Mayor Gergely Karacsony, has been battling Orban’s administration over the levy in court.
