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Is Hungary Backtracking On Democracy?

January 03, 2012

by Charles Recknagel

Tens of thousands of Hungarians have taken to the streets of Budapest over constitutional changes they say dramatically roll back democracy in the country.

The target of their anger is Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has used his two-thirds "supermajority" control of the parliament to steadily tighten government control over the judiciary, central bank, and the media.

The protesters, shouting "Orban clear off," massed outside Budapest's state opera house late on January 2 as Orban's ruling Fidesz party held a gala celebration inside.

They also call the prime minister "Viktator" as they accused him of leading the European Union and NATO member toward dictatorship.

One of the protesters, labor union leader Kornel Arok, said the constitutional changes and a host of new laws passed in recent months were moving Hungary toward one-party rule.

"The main problem with the constitution is that it is destroying the constitutional order, and the new Basic Law is basically a one-party Basic Law," Arok said.

Ignoring International Criticism

The constitutional changes, which went into effect on January 1, have drawn sharp criticism outside the county, particularly from Budapest's Western partners.

When Orban pushed through new legislation curbing the power of the president of Hungary's independent National Bank and giving more power instead to a government-appointed Monetary Council, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso requested he reverse the measures. Orban ignored the advice.

He similarly ignored warnings from both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Brussels over new regulations giving the government the power to appoint bank deputies.

The government equally brushed off international criticism when it forced scores of the country's judges to take early retirement. The power to replace the judges now rests in the hands of just one person, Judge Tunde Hando, who is the wife of a European Parliament member from Orban's Fidesz party.

And the government has weakened the media by using its control of the Media Council to award the frequency of a popular opposition radio station, Klubradio, to another company. Journalists in many organizations now complain they face increasing pressure from pro-government editors to limit criticism of the prime minister.

The tightening government control over the judiciary and press prompted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week to write a letter saying Washington had "significant and well-founded concerns" over trends in the country. She urged Orban to protect individual liberties and checks and balances.

Attempting Lasting Changes

Orban, who rose to prominence as a popular anticommunist, has defended his changes as necessary to complete the country's transition to a fully functioning democracy.

But some amendments have raised charges that he is seeking to permanently imprint his own values on Hungary.

The controversial changes include renaming the country from the "Republic of Hungary" to simply "Hungary" and citing the influence of God and Christianity.

The number of recognized faiths and sects are reduced from 300 to 14. It denies any official place in society for Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu congregations unless they have operated in Hungary for at least 20 years.

At the same time, the amendments appear to try to preempt debate over abortion by stating that life begins at conception, and to preempt debate over same-sex marriage by declaring marriage a union between man and woman.

Such changes to the constitution are particularly alarming for critics because -- even if Orban eventually loses his parliamentary supermajority -- it is unclear when any party might muster enough support to amend the constitution later.

Tumbling Support

As street protests now grow, the question is how long Orban can hang on to the popular support he rode to power in 2010, when he won a landslide victory by promising "a new social contract" and to create a million new jobs.

Last month, Fidesz's public support fell below 20 percent and those million new jobs have yet to materialize, while Hungary's foundering economy shows little signs of improving. Just before the new year, the international ratings agency Moody's downgraded Hungarian government bonds to "junk" status, indicating investors have lost faith in Budapest's ability to reliably repay future loans.

That makes Budapest more dependent than ever upon the IMF and EU to get through its economic crisis. But both have broken off talks with Orban's government over a new bailout, as they oppose the prime minister's tightening control over the Hungarian National Bank.

So far, Orban has responded to his foreign and domestic critics in what has become trademark fashion.

Among the hundreds of new laws he has passed during his 18 months in office is a decree to display plaques proclaiming "a new social contract" and "a new system of national unity" in all public offices. Whether those plaques ultimately become a symbol of his weakness or of his power remains to be seen.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/taliban_political_office_qatar_willing_to_enter_talks/24440853.html

Copyright (c) 2012. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.