Hungarian parliament stops ICC withdrawal in reversal of Orbán-era decision

Hungary’s parliament has voted to halt the country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), reversing a process initiated by the previous government led by Viktor Orbán.

Lawmakers in the newly formed parliament approved a bill terminating the withdrawal procedure, with 133 votes in favour, 37 against, and five abstentions, Speaker Ágnes Forsthoffer announced during a session broadcast live on national television, as per TASS.

The decision reflects the position of the new government led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, head of the Tisza party, which won the April 12 parliamentary elections. Presenting the cabinet’s stance during the debate, Justice Ministry State Secretary Péter Bodish emphasised the importance of the ICC, stating that it “serves the cause of international peace and security and is intended to ensure the punishment of dangerous international criminals.”

The previous administration under Orbán had taken a sharply different view, arguing that the ICC had become overly politicised and was increasingly used by states to advance their interests in international conflicts. In 2025, Budapest announced plans to withdraw from the court and declared it would no longer comply with its decisions. However, the withdrawal process was never finalised and has now been formally cancelled by the new authorities.

The vote in parliament followed clear party lines, with members of the ruling Tisza party supporting the move to remain in the ICC, while opposition lawmakers voted against it.

Orbán’s government had originally announced the withdrawal in April 2025, timing the move to coincide with a visit to Budapest by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hungary had expressed support for Netanyahu in the context of Israel’s fight against Hamas, after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestinian territory. Orbán described that decision as “absurd and shameful.”

The former Hungarian government had also stated it would not enforce ICC decisions concerning Russian President Vladimir Putin in the event of a visit to Budapest. On March 17, 2023, the court issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of the “unlawful deportation” of Ukrainian children. In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC. Russia, along with countries such as the United States and China, does not participate in the court.

By Tamilla Hasanova