President András Baka returns wealth monitoring law to the National Assembly

President András Baka returned a law to the National Assembly on November 13, 2026, regarding the monitoring of wealth accumulation among high-level political and state officials. The legislation, which was originally passed by the National Assembly on November 3, 2026, with 145 votes in favor and 48 votes against, aims to track the assets of politicians and their relatives. The President exercised his right under the Fundamental Law to return the legislation for reconsideration.

Details of the proposed monitoring

The proposed law would grant the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) the responsibility for conducting wealth examinations. These checks would target several categories of individuals, including members of parliament, ministers, state secretaries, government commissioners, and their relatives. According to the legislation, the monitoring process would begin during the second year of an official's term. Furthermore, the rules would apply to individuals who have left their positions within the previous five years.

The examination process is intended to create a chronological balance sheet to determine if an official's wealth and expenditures are covered by visible, legitimate sources, as reported by Hungarian media. The law essentially seeks to reinstate a wealth accumulation examination that was originally promulgated by the National Tax and Customs Administration in 2016.

Privacy and legal concerns

President Baka raised several concerns regarding the legal framework of the bill. One primary issue involves the requirement for the quarterly transfer of nearly the entire real estate registry database to the tax authority. The President stated that this transfer lacks specific purposes, defined time limits, and necessary data deletion rules, which could potentially violate European Union GDPR principles.

The President also argued that the law should be more equitable, allowing politicians to correct minor errors through self-audit or data reconciliation, similar to the processes available to other taxpayers. He emphasized that the law should not assume bad faith from politicians and must provide guarantees against continuous scrutiny and stigmatization. Specifically, the President stated that increased scrutiny should not result in continuous risk analysis for years after an official has left office.

Legislative context

The law was passed by the National Assembly with the support of representatives from the Respect and Freedom Party. This move follows a period of legislative activity involving the President's review of various bills. For instance, Hungarian media reported that the President previously returned a bill regarding mandatory medical chamber membership and did not sign a law amendment regarding the protection of state-related assets because he appealed to the Constitutional Court.

Glossary

• National Assembly — The National Assembly is the parliament of Hungary. It is a unicameral body consisting of 199 members elected to four-year terms.
• Fundamental Law — The Fundamental Law of Hungary is the country's constitution. It is divided into sections and articles.
• National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) — The National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) is an organization responsible for conducting wealth examinations. It is tasked with monitoring the assets of high-level political and state officials to ensure their wealth and expenditures are covered by legitimate sources.