Orban ally quits govt to push for 'conservative turn' in Europe

Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga, a combative ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, said Wednesday she would quit to focus on next year's European Parliament election campaign, vowing to push for "a conservative turn".

A polyglot lawyer, Varga has been at the helm of negotiations with Brussels to unlock billions of euros in bloc funding withheld from Budapest over rule-of-law and corruption concerns.

"I have already informed the Prime Minister of my intention to resign on July 31," she told the Magyar Nemzet newspaper.

Varga has been slated to head the electoral list of Orban's ruling Fidesz party for the 2024 European vote, but she said the party will only confirm the list later.

"A conservative turn must be achieved in the European institutions, and I would like to take an active role in this," she said, referring to what is "at stake" in the upcoming EP elections.

"It is right to hand over the leadership of the Ministry of Justice to someone who can concentrate on it one hundred percent," she added.

The 42-year-old, currently Hungary's only female government minister, was appointed by Orban in 2019, and forged a reputation for unswerving loyalty to the Hungarian strongman.

She has been adamantly trying to convince EU officials that Budapest is following through on implementing reforms sought by Brussels.

During her term Varga, who worked as a parliamentary assistant in Brussels before being appointed as minister, has come under scrutiny for her ministry's involvement in sanctioning the use of Pegasus software to spy on the smartphones of journalists.

Her former deputy minister is also currently on trial in a high-profile corruption case.

AFP