legislation
March 11, 2010, 09:39 CET
President Sólyom signs Holocaust denial bill
President Laszlo Solyom on Wednesday signed a recent law on penalising Holocaust denial, a senior official of the president's office, told MTI. Solyom signed the law since it does not contravene the Constitution, said Ferenc Kumin. At the same time,... [read complete entry]
March 11, 2010, 09:38 CET
Over 1,000 stage demo in Bratislava against Slovak act
More than 1,000 people staged a demonstration against the Slovak patriotism act outside the president's palace in Bratislava on Wednesday afternoon. The crowd, mostly comprised of young people, demanded that President Ivan Gasparovic rejects and veto the act that was... [read complete entry]
March 08, 2010, 10:34 CET
Jobbik calls for "political criminals" to face jail terms
Hungary needs new laws to make sure that "political criminals" are punished, leader of radical nationalist Jobbik said at a campaign event on Sunday. Gabor Vona, Jobbik's prime-minister candidate, said his party "will not be scared to call for the... [read complete entry]
March 08, 2010, 10:26 CET
Fidesz campaigning for "three strikes law"
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz party will immediately introduce a "three strikes law", or stricter sentences for repeat offenders, if it forms the next government, the party's MEP Pal Schmitt said during a campaign tour in west Hungary on Friday. While... [read complete entry]
February 24, 2010, 09:42 CET
Ethnic Hungarians demonstrate for language rights in Slovakia
Around 500 university students demonstrated on Tuesday in the southern Slovakian town of Komarno in defence of their right to use the mother tongue. Students who spoke at the peaceful demonstration in the town with a large ethnic Hungarian population... [read complete entry]
February 24, 2010, 09:40 CET
Fidesz to prosecute politicians for common crimes only
Conservative Fidesz, tipped to win the April general election, said earlier that it would examine the legal background for prosecuting politicians for any misdeeds committed while in office. But Istvan Balsai, Fidesz's chief legal expert, said on Tuesday that former... [read complete entry]
February 23, 2010, 09:54 CET
Hungarian MPs criminalize Holocaust denial
The denial of the Holocaust will be punishable by law under a bill passed by Parliament on Monday afternoon. Those who publicly deny the Holocaust, call it into doubt or present it as insignificant may be sentenced to up to... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2010, 10:09 CET
MPs adopt law on enactment of Civil Code opposed by president
The Hungarian Parliament on Monday adopted a law on the enactment of the Civil Code passed last November, without accepting the critical remarks of President Laszlo Solyom. Solyom returned the bill to Parliament for reconsideration last December, saying that it... [read complete entry]
February 11, 2010, 09:52 CET
Hungarian PM meets OSCE Commissioner over Slovak language law
Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai met Knut Vollebaek, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, to discuss Slovakia's amended state language law on Wednesday. Vollebaek arrived in Budapest on Tuesday for talks after meetings on the contested law in Bratislava the previous... [read complete entry]
February 10, 2010, 09:51 CET
OSCE high commissioner pledges to monitor Slovak language law
Knut Vollebaek, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, confirmed in Budapest on Tuesday that he would continue to monitor the implementation of Slovakia's amended state language act. Vollebaek arrived in Budapest on Tuesday after talks in Bratislava on Monday. He... [read complete entry]
February 10, 2010, 09:47 CET
Hungarian NGOs signal support for draft law on climate change
Over 430 NGOs have signed a statement in support of a bill on climate protection drafted by the National Council of Sustainable Development (NFFT). A copy of the document was presented to leading politicians for environmental issues in front of... [read complete entry]
January 29, 2010, 10:20 CET
Hungary to help victims of Slovak language law
The cabinet will establish a Ft 50 million fund from February 1 to compensate ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia who are fined for using their native language, Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai announced Thursday. The funds will be made available through the... [read complete entry]
January 28, 2010, 09:59 CET
Israeli FM calls for Hungarian hate speech law
The Hungarian parliament should pass a hate speech law to prevent anti-Semitism from further spreading, Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said in Budapest on Wednesday. Lieberman spoke at a ceremony marking Holocaust Memorial Day, and noted... [read complete entry]
January 14, 2010, 10:26 CET
Socialist party seeks law to penalize Holocaust denial
The governing Socialist party is seeking four-party talks on drawing up a bill to penalise Holocaust denial, Attila Mesterhazy, the Socialist parliamentary group leader, told reporters on Wednesday. Mesterhazy, who is the Socialist party's prime-minister candidate in the next elections,... [read complete entry]
January 04, 2010, 09:48 CET
President returns anti-graft authority law to parliament
Hungary's President Laszlo Solyom has returned a law on setting up an anti-graft authority to parliament for review, the president's office told MTI on Wednesday. The law envisages setting up a national anti-corruption office, an autonomous body within state administration... [read complete entry]
December 30, 2009, 10:33 CET
Bajnai urged to speed up opening of communist-era secret files
An independent MP urged Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai on Tuesday to press for new legislation on the handling of pre-1990 communist era files. Jozsef Gulyas called on Bajnai to make a commitment "beyond verbal agreement" to speeding up the... [read complete entry]
December 23, 2009, 08:44 CET
President vetoes legislation on new Civil Code
President Laszlo Solyom on Tuesday declined to sign the bill on the implementation of Hungary's new Civil Code, the president's office told MTI in a statement. The president also sent four other related bills back to parliament for review, the... [read complete entry]
December 16, 2009, 12:14 CET
Constitutional Court annuls law on legislation, setting stage for 2011 showdown
Hungary's Constitutional Court announced on Tuesday that it had found the law on the order of legislation unconstitutional and annulled it with effect of December 31, 2010. Parliament failed to bring the law, which defines how legislation should be drawn... [read complete entry]
December 16, 2009, 09:29 CET
Socialists, opposition squabble over new private pension fund law
The recently passed law on private pensions has two main goals: to raise the security of old people's savings and to supplement regulation of pension allowance payments which was lacking until now, Socialist MP Tibor Kekesi told MTI on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
December 15, 2009, 10:33 CET
MPs vote down proposal for smaller Parliament
Hungary's Parliament voted against a bill by the small liberal Free Democrats and conservative Democratic Forum designed to reduce the number of deputies in the national assembly to 200, on Monday. The proposal was supported by 199 deputies; 148 MPs... [read complete entry]
December 14, 2009, 11:01 CET
Parliament to vote on anti-graft package Monday
Hungary's Parliament will vote on the government's package of anti-corruption laws on Monday, government spokesman Domokos Szollar told MTI on Sunday. The package contains amendments seeking to increase the transparency of political campaigns, ensure tracking the disbursement of public funds... [read complete entry]
December 11, 2009, 09:52 CET
Sólyom welcomes Serbian law on ethnic council
Serbia's new law on ethnic councils, the agencies of ethnic minority government, is an example to be followed, Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom said during a visit to the northern Serbian Vojvodina province on Thursday. "The law is a huge opportunity... [read complete entry]
December 09, 2009, 09:56 CET
Public support crucial for reducing corruption, Bajnai says
Parliament's expected passage of an anti-corruption law next Monday will be a milestone, but its stipulations will not resolve all problems: public support to their enforcement is also needed, Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said on Wednesday, the International Anti-Corruption Day.... [read complete entry]
December 08, 2009, 10:04 CET
Parliament approves census law despite veto by president over religion
The Hungarian Parliament on Monday repeatedly approved the law on the 2011 census, which President Laszlo Solyom had sent back for reconsideration in October. The law was approved with 190 votes for, 158 against and two abstentions. Solyom criticised the... [read complete entry]
December 02, 2009, 09:39 CET
European Court of Human Rights cites Hungary for curbing free speech
Two top Hungarian courts were wrong to order a Hungarian historian to retract an article and pay legal costs after he wrote an article critical of the right-wing media, the European Court of Human Rights said on Tuesday. Laszlo Karsai... [read complete entry]
November 10, 2009, 08:54 CET
Parliament adopts new civil code following presidential veto
Hungary's Parliament on Monday passed a bill on the new civil code that President Laszlo Solyom had earlier returned to the body without signing. The deputies changed several details of the bill before the final vote. In a letter to... [read complete entry]
November 06, 2009, 11:28 CET
Fidesz, Christian Democrats withdraw bill on Hungarian minorities
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz party and its Christian Democrat ally are withdrawing their bill which sought to ease rules on obtaining citizenship ethnic Hungarians resident abroad, Christian Democrat MP Istvan Simicsko told MTI on Friday. Simicsko explained the withdrawal, claiming... [read complete entry]
November 05, 2009, 10:32 CET
NGOs cancel cross-party talks on campaign finance, claim Fidesz at fault
Transparency International (TI) and Freedom House will not recommence last week’s failed cross-party talks on campaign funding. The international civil groups said they made the decision after Fidesz gave no substantive response to their reform proposals, but underlined that they... [read complete entry]
November 05, 2009, 10:12 CET
Churches denounce new census law for excluding question on religion
Churches denounce new census law for excluding question on religion Hungary's Catholic, Reformed and Lutheran Churches on Wednesday expressed criticism over the recently-passed law on the 2011 census, which will exclude several questions earlier on the survey, including that on... [read complete entry]
November 05, 2009, 10:05 CET
SZDSZ head says party to vote against budget bill
The leader of Hungary's liberal Free Democrats insisted on Wednesday that his party would refuse to support the government's 2010 budget bill. In a vote on Tuesday, MPs approved the main figures of the bill which includes a budget deficit... [read complete entry]
November 04, 2009, 09:52 CET
Bajnai welcomes Czech court ruling clearing way for Lisbon Treaty adoption
Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai welcomed the Tuesday ruling of the Czech Constitutional Court, which declared the Lisbon Treaty compatible with the Czech Constitution, the Hungarian Government Spokesman's Office told MTI. "The Czech Constitutional Court's ruling is good news for... [read complete entry]
November 03, 2009, 11:02 CET
Socialists call for multi-party talks on Hungarian citizenship
Hungary's ruling Socialist party has called a four-party meeting to discuss an opposition bill on citizenship for Hungarians living beyond the borders, the party's parliamentary group leader told MTI on Monday. Attila Mesterhazy said his party supported the idea of... [read complete entry]
November 02, 2009, 11:21 CET
Fidesz proposes election finance reforms
The main opposition Fidesz and its Christian Democrat ally reject the idea of raising the funds available for campaign financing but advocate plans to shorten the election campaign and cut its costs, a senior Fidesz official told a press conference... [read complete entry]
November 02, 2009, 11:19 CET
Orbán says Fidesz to seek new measures against football hooliganism
The main opposition Fidesz party will seek to pass new legislation to prevent football hooliganism if it wins the next general elections, Fidesz leader Viktor Orban told soccer portal nb1.hu on Monday. "I think the current regulations provide sufficient room... [read complete entry]
November 02, 2009, 10:47 CET
Justice minister calls for more transparent public procurement
An anti-graft bill submitted earlier this week is expected to ensure that public procurement procedures are clear and fair while dishing out appropriate penalties for transgressors, Justice Minister Tibor Draskovics told journalists at the weekend. Anyone who uses underhand means... [read complete entry]
October 28, 2009, 09:47 CET
Socialists say they back dual citizenship for ethnic Hungarians abroad
The ruling Socialist party supports the idea of easing conditions for ethnic Hungarians who wish to apply of dual citizenship, people close to the discussions told MTI on condition of anonymity. The opposition Fidesz-Christian Democratic alliance submitted a bill on... [read complete entry]
October 26, 2009, 10:39 CET
Fidesz foreign affairs chief says US sympathetic over Slovak dispute
The head of parliament's foreign affairs committee told Hungarian journalists in Washington on Friday that the United States was sympathetic to Hungary's stance in respect of Slovakia's language law. Zsolt Nemeth, concluding an official three-day visit, said that he saw... [read complete entry]
October 22, 2009, 09:31 CET
Socialists say early passage of campaign finance bill a priority
The Socialist Party would like Parliament to pass a bill on campaign funding as soon as possible, caucus director József Tóbiás told Népszabadság on Wednesday. He said Socialist officials will attend talks initiated by Freedom House and Transparency International Hungary... [read complete entry]
October 19, 2009, 09:32 CET
Fidesz submits motion to ease dual citizenship for ethnic Hungarians
The opposition has submitted a motion to Parliament to help ethnic Hungarians obtain Hungarian citizenship more easily. The motion submitted by Christian Democrats Zsolt Semjén and István Simicskó, as well as Fidesz MP Zsolt Németh, would abolish the pre-condition that... [read complete entry]
October 07, 2009, 09:41 CET
MPs begin rancorous debate of 2010 budget bill
Finance Minister Péter Oszkó promised growth in the second half of 2010 in a general debate on the 2010 budget bill in Parliament yesterday. “Standard & Poor's, one of the main credit rating agencies, has improved its rating for Hungary,... [read complete entry]
September 29, 2009, 09:13 CET
Fidesz to lead demonstration against cuts to local council budget
Debrecen's Fidesz mayor Lajos Kósa will lead a protest against the draft budget outside Parliament at 11 a.m. on October 10. Kósa has asked local government leaders, council members and employees to protest against "the most dangerous budget of the... [read complete entry]
September 23, 2009, 09:14 CET
Divided parliamentary committee moves to include religion in national census
Parliament's Committee on Human Rights and Minority, Civil and Religious Affairs voted on Monday to pass a motion proposed by Fidesz which would include a voluntary question on religious views in the next census, to be held in 2011, hvg.hu... [read complete entry]
September 22, 2009, 10:27 CET
Parliament passes new civil code; sweeping changes include 1,200 provisions
Parliament passed a new civil code yesterday, approving Hungary’s most extensive and complex legislation, containing some 1,200 provisions. The bill will now go to President László Sólyom for endorsement or rejection. It received 191 affirmative votes, as all Socialist MPs... [read complete entry]
September 18, 2009, 09:39 CET
National Election Commission calls for changes to MP nomination scheme
The National Election Commission (OVB) would like to change or do away with the present nomination slips collected by candidates for Parliament, according to its report to the legislature. The OVB would favour a form of nomination paper that would... [read complete entry]
September 11, 2009, 11:24 CET
PM in talks with SZDSZ head over 2010 budget
The 2010 budget bill was the focus of talks between Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai and liberal opposition Free Democrats leader Attila Retkes on Thursday. Retkes said that on the basis of the basic budget figures, he saw a good chance... [read complete entry]
September 11, 2009, 11:14 CET
National Election Commission rejects bid for "SMS voting"
The National Election Commission (OVB) has dismissed five initiatives for referendums, including one about voting by text messages sent from mobile phones, writes origo.hu, based on an MTI report. The OVB ruled that voting by SMS would violate the secrecy... [read complete entry]
July 24, 2009, 11:11 CET
Socialist mull bill on "Hungarians beyond the borders"
The ruling Socialist Party (MSZP) is considering putting forward a bill on the "status of Hungarians living beyond the border", Jozsef Kozma, deputy chairman of Parliament's foreign affairs committee, told MTI on Thursday. "This status would symbolise affiliation to, and... [read complete entry]
July 08, 2009, 09:38 CET
Parties squabble over new anti-crime legislation
The latest amendments to the Penal Code and the law on criminal procedures are meant to increase public safety, Minister of Justice and Law Enforcement Tibor Draskovics told reporters in Budapest on Tuesday. Parliament amended the Penal Code and the... [read complete entry]
June 30, 2009, 12:42 CET
Anti-crime "three strikes" provision added to penal code
Parliament amended the penal code in order to allow more stringent action against repeat offenders and the perpetrators of firearm crimes on Monday. Under the new laws, those convicted for a third time cannot be released conditionally, receive a suspended... [read complete entry]
June 30, 2009, 10:54 CET
Parliament rejects bid to change constitution to punish Holocaust denial
Parliament on Monday rejected the ruling Socialist party's proposal for a constitution change which aimed to make Holocaust-denial punishable. In a vote of 189 to 165 and 5 abstentions, deputies voted down the Socialist proposal to lift Holocaust-denial, currently regulated... [read complete entry]
June 29, 2009, 11:34 CET
Liberals to back government on 2010 tax package in today's vote
The leader of the parliamentary group of the liberal Free Democrats said on Monday that the group had narrowly voted to support the government's tax package. The parliamentary vote on the bill being held later today will decide the fate... [read complete entry]
June 22, 2009, 10:43 CET
Bajnai calls for joint action against extremism
Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai on Sunday called upon all democratic forces, irrespective of their party affiliation, to take a stand against extremism. In an MTI interview, Bajnai called the recent defamation of a Holocaust memorial in Budapest "shameful, dismal... [read complete entry]
June 02, 2009, 08:31 CET
SZDSZ urges Bajnai to push bill on releasing communist-era files
Hungary's liberal opposition Free Democrats (SZDSZ) have asked Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai to state when the government intends to complete a legislation on making classified files on Hungary's communist past public, liberal MP Jozsef Gulyas told MTI on Saturday. Gulyas,... [read complete entry]
May 28, 2009, 10:59 CET
Amnesty International raps Hungary on Roma rights, lack of speech curbs
The Hungarian Roma community is still forced to suffer discrimination in every area of life, and gays too must contend with the intolerance of violent groups, according to a report by Amnesty International published on Thursday. The world's largest human... [read complete entry]
May 26, 2009, 11:02 CET
Parliament celebrates International Missing Children's Day with cut to child benefit
The Socialist/Liberal bloc that still manages to control Hungary's Parliament has made good on their earlier decision to cut some child benefits. But how's this for timing: they did it yesterday, which just happens to be "International Missing Children's Day."... [read complete entry]
May 26, 2009, 09:30 CET
Bajnai defends tax plan in Parliament
Hungary's government will raise taxes on consumption and property to offset approved tax cuts on labour in 2009 and 2010, Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said addressing parliament on Monday. The new property tax, to be levied from 2010 on real... [read complete entry]
May 20, 2009, 09:23 CET
MPs submit education bill to Parliament; opposition calls ideas "absurd"
Former Free Democrat Education Minister Bálint Magyar and MP Klára Sándor submitted to Parliament amendment motions of the Public Education Act on Tuesday. The proposal aims to stop the teaching of subjects in the first six school years, to ban... [read complete entry]
May 19, 2009, 10:41 CET
Orbán, Dávid cast "mistaken" votes for bill on pay for ministers
Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán accidentally voted in favour of reducing ministers' salaries in Parliament on Monday, the senior opposition party's press chief told state news agency MTI. By pressing the "yes" button, Orbán became the only Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance MP... [read complete entry]
May 19, 2009, 08:54 CET
Liberals initiate four-party talks on criminalizing Holocaust denial
Hungary's liberal Free Democrats initiate talks among the four parliamentary parties on how to make Holocaust denial punishable by law, the chairman of the party said on Monday. Speaking in Parliament, Gabor Fodor said the Free Democrats continued to advocate... [read complete entry]
May 18, 2009, 11:14 CET
Orbán says Fidesz aiming for constitution-changing supermajority
Viktor Orban, the leader of Hungary's main conservative opposition, told supporters on Saturday that his Fidesz party was intent on winning a two-thirds majority in the next parliamentary elections in 2010, giving the government the right to change the constitution.... [read complete entry]
May 05, 2009, 09:34 CET
Gov't offers new anti-crime proposal in response to Fidesz "three strikes" plan
The cabinet plans to tighten the penal code and mete out harsher punishments to repeat offenders in response to Fidesz's "three strikes" proposal, Népszabadság reports.... [read complete entry]
May 04, 2009, 10:46 CET
Under pressure, Jobbik calls Holocaust "tragic" event
The radical nationalist Jobbik party (Movement for a Righter Hungary) on Saturday condemned the Nazi crimes committed against the Jewry but expressed its disagreement with the idea of a constitutional amendment on banning Holocaust denial.... [read complete entry]
May 04, 2009, 10:42 CET
Socialists to push constitutional amendment on hate speech
Hungary's governing Socialist party will initiate an amendment to the Constitution so as to ban Holocaust denial and hate speech and make them punishable by law, party leader Ildiko Lendvai told a May Day celebration in Budapest on Friday.... [read complete entry]
April 27, 2009, 07:48 CET
Socialists to submit bill banning Holocaust denial this week
Hungary's governing Socialist party will submit a bill next week aiming to make Holocaust denial punishable by law, the head of the party's executive board said on Saturday.... [read complete entry]
April 27, 2009, 07:47 CET
Fidesz begins collecting signatures for "three-strikes" anti-crime law
Hungary's conservative opposition Fidesz has started a month-long campaign to collect signatures in support of a bill to introduce the so-called three-strikes principle in the country's criminal justice system, Andras Cser-Palkovics, the party's deputy spokesman, told MTI on Saturday.... [read complete entry]
April 21, 2009, 10:06 CET
Minister initiates bill to criminalize Holocaust denial
Education and Culture Minister István Hiller initiated legislation that would criminalise Holocaust denial in Parliament on Monday.... [read complete entry]
April 21, 2009, 10:01 CET
Expert says Hungary's tolerance of Holocaust denial flaunts int'l law
Hungary infringes on international law by still lacking legislation to penalise Holocaust denial, international lawyer Laszlo Valki told MTI on Monday.... [read complete entry]
April 15, 2009, 09:30 CET
Parliament adopts referendum initiative on members' expenses
Hungary's parliament on Tuesday adopted a referendum on tightening the parliamentary deputies' reimbursement rules.... [read complete entry]
April 15, 2009, 09:27 CET
MPs reject motion to dissolve parliament
Parliamentary deputies on Tuesday voted against a proposal seeking to dissolve parliament and facilitate early elections to be put on the agenda.... [read complete entry]
April 10, 2009, 10:49 CET
Outgoing government approves anti-corruption bill
Hungary's outgoing Gyurcsany government approved anti-corruption measures at its last session, business daily Vilaggazdasag said on Friday.... [read complete entry]
April 10, 2009, 10:25 CET
MPs face crucial votes next Tuesday
Hungarian Parliament will convene next Tuesday to vote on the no confidence motion initiated by outgoing Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany against himself, and on a referendum to be called on tightening the parliamentary deputies' reimbursement rules, House Speaker Katalin Szili... [read complete entry]
April 08, 2009, 09:57 CET
Socialists submit "constructive no-confidence" motion against Gyurcsány
The governing Socialist party submitted, as expected, a constructive motion of no-confidence in Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany to parliament on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
March 25, 2009, 08:17 CET
Fidesz repeats call for smaller parliament
The main opposition Fidesz party maintains its position that the number of representatives in Hungary's parliament should be reduced to 200 from the current 386, Robert Repassy, a deputy of the party, said in parliament on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
March 24, 2009, 04:59 CET
Hate speech legislation on parliament's agenda
The government's bill to amend the constitution seeks to facilitate a more efficient fight against hate speech, deputy Justice Minister Dezso Avarkeszi said in a parliamentary debate of the bill on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
March 20, 2009, 10:46 CET
Standoff leaves Hungary's Supreme Court without leadership
Hungary's Supreme Court will be left without its top leadership after President Laszlo Solyom's refusal to appoint a new deputy chief justice, Nepszabadsag daily said on Friday.... [read complete entry]
March 18, 2009, 09:38 CET
MPs duck debate on "Reform Alliance" economic proposals
Only 20-30 MPs took part in the debate in the Parliament yesterday on the proposals of the Reform Alliance.... [read complete entry]
March 18, 2009, 08:30 CET
Israeli ambassador warns of growing anti-Semitism in Hungary
It is important to call the attention of the public to the rising anti-Semitism in Hungary, Israel's Ambassador Aliza Bin-Noun told MTI on Tuesday, ahead of a two-day conference on the subject.... [read complete entry]
March 09, 2009, 07:34 CET
Government submits proposals to cut spending on elections, parliament
The government's proposals on single round elections and smaller parliament aims to halve the cost of the election and reduce spending on parliament by an annual 4 billion forints, the government spokesperson said on Friday.... [read complete entry]
March 04, 2009, 09:18 CET
House rejects Fidesz "three strikes" bill
Parliament on Monday refused to put on its agenda the Fidesz "three strikes and you're out" motion aimed at tightening the penal code. MPs voted with 199 dissensions, 166 affirmative votes and three abstentions.... [read complete entry]
March 02, 2009, 01:28 CET
Gyurcsány says gov't to initiate amendment of Constitution on hate speech
Hungary's government will initiate amending the constitution to limit the freedom of expression by restricting racist expression, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany told news portal Hirszerzo on Monday morning.... [read complete entry]
February 25, 2009, 09:48 CET
Don't expect Hungary's MPs to lay themselves off
From time to time, the idea of a smaller parliament is brought up in Hungarian politics. It would not save a lot of money, but is nevertheless popular due to its symbolic value, and all the parties have declared themselves... [read complete entry]
February 25, 2009, 09:18 CET
Commissioner, parties respond to CoE report on human rights
Laszlo Teleki, the prime minister's special commissioner for Roma affairs, urged the adoption of a law on penalising hate-speech by parliament, responding to a report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
February 25, 2009, 08:31 CET
Fidesz says "three strikes" anti-crime law could have prevented Roma killings
If Hungary had already introduced a "three-strikes law," recent tragedies in Hungary could have been prevented, an official of the main opposition Fidesz party said on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
February 24, 2009, 10:27 CET
Council of Europe body slams Hungary for lack of hate speech controls
Hungary's broad freedom of speech laws guaranteed by the Constitution render protection against racism almost impossible, a Council of Europe committee said in a report published on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
February 20, 2009, 11:13 CET
Report finds Hungary among best in adopting EU directives
Hungary is among European Union members with the highest number of EU directives adopted into their national legislation, a report by the European Commission revealed on Thursday.... [read complete entry]
February 20, 2009, 10:55 CET
Rights groups dubious on plan for "three strikes" law on repeat offenders
The Hungarian arm of the Helsinki Committee, a human rights watchdog, has raised concerns about an opposition proposal to introduce de facto life sentences for repeat offenders, national daily Nepszabadsag said on Friday.... [read complete entry]
February 19, 2009, 11:18 CET
Gov't reform bill aims at cutting number of local representatives in half
The number of local government representatives could be reduced by almost fifty percent if parliament adopts the government's local government reform, Local Government Minister Istvan Gyenesei told reporters on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
February 18, 2009, 08:46 CET
Fidesz submits "three strikes" anti-crime bill bill
Fidesz on Tuesday submitted to Parliament a "three strikes" bill on stricter punishment for those who commit three violent crimes.... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2009, 09:50 CET
Jobbik calls for reintroduction of capital punishment
The reintroduction of capital punishment and revival of the pre-WWII gendarmerie was on the agenda of speakers at a radical nationalist Jobbik party rally of several hundred people in Budapest on Friday.... [read complete entry]
February 13, 2009, 08:45 CET
Parliamentary committee approves members of newly-formed budget council
Hungary's parliamentary budget committee on Thursday unanimously approved the nominees to the budget council, a body designed to review fiscal policy independently of the government.... [read complete entry]
February 13, 2009, 08:43 CET
Five parties hold meeting on campaign finance reform
Hungary's five parliamentary parties on Thursday held a meeting on issues concerning reform of political campaign finance.... [read complete entry]
January 23, 2009, 11:47 CET
Gyurcsány attacks right, liberals for opposing hate-speech laws
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, speaking at a conference on racism on Friday, said that anyone who blocked legislation to create measures against hate speech openly attacked respect for human rights.... [read complete entry]
January 23, 2009, 09:12 CET
Fidesz demands revision of EU bailout, claims it illegally pawns national assets
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz party demands the revision of the credit agreement the government concluded with the European Union, as it violates Hungarian legislation, a senior Fidesz deputy said on Thursday.... [read complete entry]
January 07, 2009, 09:49 CET
Gyurcsány criticizes Sólyom for returning domestic abuse law
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány lashed out at President László Sólyom yesterday for refusing to sign the amended Restraining Act. Sólyom opted to send the legislation to the Constitutional Court for legal review on Monday, after deeming several of its provisions... [read complete entry]
January 07, 2009, 08:50 CET
Gyurcsány says preventing civil unions curtails basic freedoms
The Hungarian Constitutional Court's recent thwarting of a new law legalising registered partnerships, including same-sex couples, is an interference with basic freedoms, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany wrote in his internet blog on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
January 06, 2009, 10:03 CET
Sólyom returns amended domestic violence bill
President László Sólyom on Monday sent the amended Restraining Act to the Constitutional Court for legal review, claiming that some of its provisions are unconstitutional.... [read complete entry]
December 14, 2008, 07:45 CET
Orbán predicts "breakdown" of MSZP within next year
Next year will see the "breakdown" of the governing Socialist party's "burned-out policies", main opposition Fidesz party leader Viktor Orban told party delegates on Saturday.... [read complete entry]
December 12, 2008, 09:36 CET
Fidesz fights planned cut in bonus pay for public-sector workers
Hungary's main opposition Fidesz has asked for a roll-call vote in parliament on scrapping 13th month bonus salaries in the pubic sector, a Fidesz official told the press on Thursday.... [read complete entry]
December 02, 2008, 12:10 CET
Endless voting means hazardous duty for parliamentary fingers
In case you think being a Hungarian parliamentarian isn't hard work, think again: on just one day last week (Tuesday the 25th) the country's 381 MPs had to vote 400 separate times in order to enact the latest round of... [read complete entry]