Hungary’s government proposes a smaller parliament, one-round elections, fixed remuneration for MPs, a more transparent system of refunding expenses and a reduction in the number of local council representatives, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said on Sunday.
Gyurcsany told the press after an extraordinary government session that the number of MPs should be reduced from 386 to 199 and the elections should be held in one round instead of two. The costs of parliamentary elections would drop from 8 billion forints (EUR 28m) to 4 billion forints (EUR 14m) as a result, he added.
The remuneration of MPs should be fixed at three times the average wage, the PM said.
The government will also propose that MPs should be obliged to present receipts after all travel and accommodation expenses they want refunded, Gyurcsany said.
Under another proposal, the number of local council representatives will be halved from the current 26,000, he added.
According to the government’s calculations, the modernisation of the constitutional institution system will result in savings of 100 billion forints (EUR 350m) per government term.
Gyurcsany said he would initiate a five-party coordination talks in the near future and hoped that a smaller parliament and cheaper election system can be implemented in 2010.
The spokesman of the main opposition Fidesz party said the government lacked a response to the current economic crisis and was trying to cover this up by making proposals on public laws but they are not credible. This also proves the failure of Prime Minister Gyurcsany and his inability to fulfill his role, he added.
Floor group leader of the small opposition Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) Karoly Herenyi said the government’s proposal offered a good basis for negotiations.
When the Fidesz was coming up with it Mr. Furcsány
tagged it as a populist move… Now that it would
be their only chance at the upcoming elections
withold the right wing from absolute majority, he
found the same tune, Whatta two faced( at least..)
coward “coke” addict…
Well, both sides are being utterly pathetic here – in fact, if Gyurcsi proposes almost exactly what Fidesz wanted and they turn it down, Fidesz is being even more pathetic.
A smaller parliament is one thing, that’s obviously a good – if not very original – idea.
The way representatives are selected is the problem. I expected to get rid of the party list reps, and leave selection to the voters. If we keep using the word “democracy” we shold also allow people (ready or not) to pick their own representatives, don’t you think?
I just continue to shake my head at these politicians.
First MSzP propose it, and Fidesz oppose it. Then Fidesz propose it, and MSzP oppose it. Now MSzP propose it and…
Please Fidesz, support it! Please do something a tiny bit worthwhile.
I know the PM is an absolute, complete, total cretin, but this is a something which is a decent idea. Please Fidesz, do something for Hungary, and don’t let your contempt for this tosser get in the way of Hungary actually making a tiny bit of progress.
I particularly like the idea of halving the number of local representatives. They are worse, more vicious and more unscrutinised than the national politicians.
Please can someone finally shake up Magyar politics? Hungary – 10 million people, something like 3000 local councils. UK – 60 million people, something like 300 local councils. The UK probably has a similar number of councillors as Hungary for 6 times the population!! Get rid of these spongers and reduce the parliment to a size which matches the size of the current Hungary. At last a chance to finish what should have been done in 1989 – we all hate Gy, but the advantage now is that he has nothing to lose politically and so is actually proposing something unpopular but sensible!!
Hold on with the enthusiasm people, read the fine print first.
Smaller parliament is long overdue, but why keep the dumb party list instead of allowing people to select their own reps, even if they are not party members. I have more faith in independents than party picks.
I don’t have any problem with the national party lists (at least it keep some minor parties in the parliament), but the megye party lists hopefully will be abolished (as proposed by MSzP in 2006 or 2007).