Hungary’s Parliament votes to remain member of International Criminal Court

Hungary’s Parliament voted on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) to remain a member of the International Criminal Court, reversing a decision by the previous government of Viktor Orbán to withdraw from the global tribunal.

Mr. Orbán’s government announced last year that Hungary would quit the ICC, the world’s only permanent global court for war crimes and genocide, shortly after a state visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which went ahead despite an ICC warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes in connection with Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.

The ICC and other international organisations criticised Mr. Orbán’s government for failing to detain Mr. Netanyahu. Mr. Orbán accused the ICC of becoming a “political court”. Hungary’s withdrawal has been set to take effect on June 2.

The bill to reverse the decision, which was submitted on Monday (May 25, 2026) by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, states that in order to maintain international peace and protect human rights “it is essential that those who commit the most serious international crimes be held accountable before an international judicial forum”. It adds: “To this end, it is necessary to maintain Hungary’s participation in the Statute of the International Criminal Court.” The bill was passed largely along party lines, with 133 lawmakers from Mr. Magyar’s ruling Tisza party voting to approve, 37 votes against and five abstentions.

The ICC’s oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, welcomed Hungary’s return. In a statement on Monday (May 25, 2026) in anticipation of the vote, the organisation said it “congratulates the government of Hungary for this important decision”. Last year, the ICC found that Hungary had failed to comply with its legal obligation to arrest Mr. Netanyahu. In July, a panel of judges wrote that the “failure to arrest suspects severely undermines the court’s ability to carry out its mandate”.

If Hungary had withdrawn, it would have been the third country to leave the ICC after the Philippines and Burundi. It also would have been the only country in the 27-member European Union that is not a signatory to the court.