A referendum is likely to be held in the fall on the withdrawal of the new law on health care, after more than 400,000 signatures were collected, doubling the minimum number required, writes Index.hu. The question reads: “Do you agree that a multi-insurer health care system operating on business principles in which everyone are obliged to choose should not be introduced in Hungary?” However, the governing coalition has said that the proposed question does not even apply to the new health care law passed on February 11, so even if the referendum is successful, it would not be obliged to amend the law. To stem the conflict and avoid another costly plebiscite, main opposition party Fidesz has submitted a bill to void the law. Meanwhile, parties of all stripes are already collecting signatures for a further round of referenda.
The National Election Commission (OVB) has approved the question put forward by a couple usually referred to as “the Alberts” (Albert házaspár), and the state president is expected to set the referendum date for the fall. Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán proposed that the government withdraws the law or it will face another defeat if a referendum is held in the fall. He also said that if a party believes privatization of health care is necessary, it should include it in its program when the next general elections are held in 2010, so that voters can decide at that time.
The government, however, said that the question submitted by “the Alberts” does not apply to the health law passed by Parliament in February, because it does not mention a multi-insurer system but one insurer and several funds.
Constitutional lawyer István Lövétei told the portal he agreed that the question was ambiguous, and the definitions of “health insurer” and “health fund” should be clarified.
The Constitutional Court (Ab) also approved a number of other decisions by the OVB last week, writes weekly HVG, based on a subscription-only report by MTI. As a result, the collection of signatures in support of referendum proposals for five questions submitted by the governing Socialist Party and on one submitted by opposition parties Fidesz and the Christian Democrats can now begin.
The Socialists would hold a referendum on the following questions:
- Parties should accept support from private individuals only in addition to the central budget.
- Reimbursement of expenses of members of parliament not subject to accounting should be abolished.
- The posts of MP and mayor should be declared incompatible.
- State leaders should be subject to regular inspections of their wealth growth.
- Civil servants in positions defined by a law should also be subject to regular inspections of their wealth growth.
Fidesz and the Christian Democrats also submitted five questions, one of which was approved last week. The parties propose a referendum on creating a law that makes annual wealth inspections of the prime minister, ministers, state secretaries and members of parliament mandatory.
The referendum questions rejected by the OVB included one submitted by the Socialist Party on whether Parliament should accept the bill on making asset reports mandatory, and the Ab approved its decision. Other rejected questions, which were submitted by the opposition, included one on the ban on posters in public places explaining activities and plans of local governments, and another on whether salaries of the prime minister, ministers and state secretaries should be decided according to a 2002 law until the euro is introduced in Hungary. There was also a question on whether Parliament should amend laws in order for salaries and reimbursement of expenses to be frozen until the euro is introduced in Hungary, and one submitted by a private individual on introducing a single form of taxation.
