November 09, 2009, 9:08 CET
Orbán says he does not support overturning constitutional system
Victor Orban, the head of conservative opposition party Fidesz, said at an event in Kecskemet on Sunday that he neither planned nor supported a complete turnaround of Hungary's constitutional system.
"I support a smaller parliament, I support reducing the size of county and local government bodies by about half, but I do not support changing the fundamental thinking since the change of system that political power should come based on votes for members of parliament," Orban said. He added that he would not support making the president of the republic directly elected.
Fidesz's standing in recent polls suggest it could win two-thirds of the seats in parliament in general elections in the spring, enough to make changes to the constitution.
Orban said it was a realistic goal for the right, under the leadership of Fidesz, to win the confidence of Hungarian voters to such a degree that it could form a government alone, without compromises, and gain a majority in parliament. A two-thirds majority and amendments to the constitution are "desired by many, including myself, but this belongs to the realm of miracles," he said. "I do not want to say...that there are no miracles," he added.
Sooner or later, Hungary will need a new constitution, because the current one does nothing more than promote peaceful political transition, Orban said. Twenty years earlier, on October 23, a "temporary president of the republic was established and a temporary republic and a temporary constitution came into being," he added.
Spokesman of the governing Socialist party Istvan Nyako said Orban's statements regarding the constitutional system show he thinks like a king and considers Hungary his fiefdom.
"He behaves like a king, who can do whatever he wants with the country of his subjects. It only depends on his wish for how the president of the republic is elected, how many representatives there can be and what the laws are. What Viktor Orban obviously wants is to rule and not simply to govern," Nyako added.
EMAIL ARTICLE
ADD A COMMENT
SITE FEED9 Comments
Published every Wednesday, the Politics Hungary newsletter contains all the previous week's headlines from Politics.hu, as well as related stories from other All Hungary sites.
Recent Comments:
- MÁV Holocaust trial postponed to next March
- Hungaroring to host 25th Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday
- Hungarian couple set out to circumnavigate globe
- Canadian government designates 1956 Hungarian refugees national historic event
- Hungarian tourists stuck in Greece due to strike
- Malév Cluj flight returns to Budapest
- Hungarian globetrotter walks 4,000 kilometers
- "Legal hackers" course planned at national defense university
- Romanian living in Hungary with fake ID expelled
- Margaret Bridge reopening delayed by legal dispute
- Heirs sue Hungarian state for seized Herzog collection
- Williams Grand Prix team crashes out in trademark dispute with Hungarian company
- Completed home permits drop 41%, home building permits down 50% in Q2
- Free fireworks offer leads to government communication breakdown
- Orbán just might need to make nice with the IMF in the future
- Figyelő publishes list of top 100 Hungarian companies
- Hungary is "middle-market" in terms of non-performing loans, PwC says
- Number of public procurement tenders up, combined value down in H1
- Ecostat Acceleration Indicator rises 0.25% in July
- Producer price rise slows to 1.4% a month in June
- Budapest Castle District Hillside to be Converted into Vineyard
- Lights, Camera, Nobu!
- New York Times Makes Quality Time for Tokaj Tourism
- Northeast Town to Roast Inhabitants Alive With Heatwave Stuffed Cabbage Festival
- Once-Legendary Egervin on Block; Administrators to Liquidate Winery, Wines
- Karfiolleves
- Dobostorta
- Is it Taxes or Apathy that Have Kept Bottles of Fröccs From Store Shelves?
- Hungary's Vineyards Shrink Over the Previous Decade
- Glitzy District V Bar/Restaurant Takes Early Lead in Glitzy Formula 1 Celebrity Sightings
- Anthony Hopkins Survives Hungary's Medical Establishment
- Hungarian Anti-Semites Flummoxed as Goy Magyar Pedophile Nabbed in Jerusalem
- Today's Internet Tips For Kissing, Fondling Viktor Orbán's Juicy Ass in Proper Hungarian
- Vile Potty-Mouthed Clevelander is Pestiside Pathetic Commenter of the Week!
- Pathetic Hungarian Celebrity Quote of the Week
- Frisky Firefighters in Hot Water After Hosing Off Foxy Intern's Pants
- Hacksaws to Become Standard Accessories for Budapest Bicyclists
- Insignificant Bridge "Renamed" After Slightly More Famous Hungarian Rapper
I do not support making the president of the republic directly elected, he added.
---
No, why should he?
The next Parliament, ruled by Fidesz, will appoint him to President, after they changed the constitution to give more powers to the President and sacking 50% of the MPs.
There is just one problem there and that is the problem how to get those MPs that will lose their seat in the smaller Parliament to vote for their own disappearance?
Not only non-Fidesz MPs will lose their seats in a smaller parliament.
Viking,
"There is just one problem there and that is the problem how to get those MPs that will lose their seat in the smaller Parliament to vote for their own disappearance"
There's lots of options:
In the UK the House of Lords is still useful for getting rid of superannuated politicians, "kicking them upstairs" we call it.
Gerrymandering the new constituency bounderies to ensure that they benefit the incumbent party's MPs. Popular everywhere.
If Orbán really does not support making the president of the republic directly elected, and is going straight for hereditary monarchy; why not also reintroduce a hereditary aristocracy. The unnecessary MPs can exchange power for status.
Would a turkey vote for Christmas?
I'm sure he'll be able to find various taxpayer funded jobs for those who would lose their seat. Give them a high enough salary, with the potential to collect additional, informal, ad hoc contributions by affected stake-holders and it could be attractive.
I hope that some serious consideration will be given to installing a constitutional monarchy. I think it would be a good idea to have at least one source of national unity in the political landscape of Hungary. Parlimentary politics have become absolutely poisoned, and it looks like it will only get worse in the near future. If the office of the President of the Republic becomes even more political than it is now, then I can't see the use in that. The only question in my mind is who would sit on the throne? My personal preference would be for Otto to reclaim the throne that was last occupied by his father. Even though he is in his 90's, he still seems sharp and of course he wouldn't have any actual legislative duties. Unfortunately, I think the Czechs and Slovaks especially would scream bloody murder, and there is the small matter of the Hapsburgs having been disestablished as the ruling dynasty in the 1920's, even though the Regency was kept until 1944. Still, I suppose some sort of agreement could be reached if everyone acted in good faith (I know, not much of a chance of that happening).
I've sometimes thought a constitutional monarchy might be an option for Hungary. I do like the idea of the head of state being above politics. I do think it would be good if the head of state power enough to tell the government to compell governments to act in the interests of the country...in other words, stop messing about and do something constructive. The head of state shouldn't have legislative power, and neither should they have the power to send people to war.
Dear Tanarur,
Your username means "Mr teacher". I would put the greatest hope, for the long run, in educating our youth to be competitive in the modern world. We need more scientists, engineers and people trained in business.
We've "dropped the ball" since 1989, not because we were uneducated, but because our education and historical experience did not equip us to kick ass in a global market economy.
A constitutional monarch is helpful towards creating a sense of continuity, providing that continuity hasn't been forcefully broken by violent revolutions and foreign invasions. The 90 years since the abdication of the Habsburgs have seen 2 "Soviet Republics", one rightist and one nazi regime, one electoral democracy and several foreign invasions. Our link with a monarchist tradition has been shattered by these events.
that he neither planned nor supported a complete turnaround of Hungary's constitutional system.
HMMMM!!!!! Isn't he, who is kissing the feet of the EU and loves the treaty of Lissabon! The treaty took away the sovereignty of Hungary...and it's constitution...
The treaty took away the sovereignty of Hungary...and it's constitution...
Géza at November 11, 2009 12:39 PM
--------
No, it did not.
It takes the integration a bit further, but the point you are trying to make was claimed by your friends already when any country joined the EU.
I do not think you can lose the "sovereignty" several times.
In a sense joining the EU is exactly that.
And that is the general idea with the EU, so why whining?