Controversial reforms

In spite of strong criticism internationally, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has remained powerful at home. But his recent push to introduce a controversial new constitution has provoked anger in some quarters.

Elected to parliament just 18 months ago with a large majority, Orban's center-right Fidesz party feels it has been given a mandate for change. The opposition remains relatively powerless to counteract the government.

"They [the Fidesz party] never got the mandate to systematically destroy democracy, to destroy all democratic institutions, to build their own power and practically march towards a dictatorship," Timea Szabo, opposition member of parliament for LMP (Politics can be different), told Deutsche Welle.

But others are defending the government. Sandor Vida is a journalist working in Budapest. He feels it is natural for Orban to take advantage of his electoral success to introduce radical reforms.

"We've had only 20 years of democracy - there wasn't really much of　a change after the Russians left," Vida told Deutsche Welle. "That's why we have to find a way to recover. Now the government wants to try something different, something new, something which can work. That's what was missing before."

Protest rallies

Tens of thousands of people staged a protest outside the state opera house in Budapest on Monday, where Orban and his allies were celebrating the newly adopted constitution, which came into force on January 1.

Two opposition LMP activists were hurt by counter-demonstrators. Szabo blames the police for their inadequate response.

　"Some of the far-right anti-supporters beat up two of our activists clearly because they belonged to our party. They had LMP stickers on their coat, and they were beaten. And unfortunately the police failed to protect them properly."

Critics say the new constitution undermines vital checks and balances on the government. The legislation was adopted last April, and has drawn significant criticism from the EU and the US.

The crowds in Budapest on Monday night were also uneasy about what they see as the increasing erosion of democracy and about the economic situation in the country.

"It's not only about the constitution. It's about what's happened in the past year-and-a-half since Fidesz took over in May 2010," Szabo said.

"Undemocratic" reforms

The new constitution replaces the 1989 charter which secured basic democratic rights for the country after the collapse of the Soviet bloc. The government says the new basic law completes the transition from communism to democracy, but opponents say it gives the ruling party more power and forces a conservative world view on the country.

The laws include sweeping changes to the parliament, reducing the number of parliamentarians, and rewriting electoral boundaries in a way which may favor Fidesz. The new laws also curtail the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court, and could erode the independence of the Hungarian central bank.

The European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund have all criticized the banking reforms. In December, officials from the EU and IMF broke off preliminary credit talks with Hungary in protest at the new laws. On Tuesday, they warned that Hungary must safeguard the independence of the central bank before negotiations on financial aid can resume.

Amnesty International has expressed concern that the constitution violates international and European human rights standards. The legislation includes protection of life from the moment of conception, which may pave the way for restrictions on abortions. The law also excludes sexual orientation from the protected grounds of discrimination.

Author: Joanna Impey
Editor: Andreas Illmer