Hungary: Administrative procedure launched over Fidesz press chief's unpaid salary

An administrative procedure has been launched concerning the unpaid salary and benefits of Bertalan Havasi, the press chief for Hungary's ruling Fidesz party. The action was initiated by Zsuzsanna Ducsay, administrative state secretary at the Prime Minister's Office.

According to documents, Ducsay had previously informed Havasi that his salary and other entitlements due until the end of his public service employment would be settled and paid. The complaint also notes that Minister-President's Office official Péter Magyar had publicly stated at least twice that Havasi would not be paid his salary for his notice period.

The dispute's origins lie in a public conflict between Magyar and Havasi months prior. Havasi, then a deputy state secretary, engaged in a sharp verbal altercation with Magyar within the Prime Minister's Cabinet Office building. This confrontation led to Magyar dismissing Havasi from his position with immediate effect on the same day.

Following the incident, the Fidesz communication director threatened legal proceedings, while Magyar had previously asserted that Havasi would not receive severance pay.

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a kormányzati szolgálati jogviszonya megszűnése napjáig megillető illetményének és egyéb járandóságainak (…) elszámolása és kifizetése, valamint a jogviszonyra vonatkozó szabályokban előírt igazolások kiadása iránt intézkedni fog.