http://www.politics.hu/ en Copyright 2011 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:03:59 +0100 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Not all members of Hungary's centre-right Fidesz government will stay on board for the full four-year parliamentary cycle, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told tabloid Blikk in an interview on Friday, without clearly denying plans for an upcoming government reshuffle. Orban said there were ministers who had made it clear that they do not want to stay in their seats that long, he told the paper, without giving names. Orban told the paper that there have been different agreements made with different people. "If the government faces new tasks, it will be necessary to accommodate to them," he said. Calling for renewal and reorganisation in the country, Orban told a conference earlier in the week that "the government's current political abilities were not yet up to the task of filling the framework of growth with functioning programmes." Orban addressed newly-announced plans to help troubled householders of foreign currency-denominated mortgages, who are facing financial difficulties in paying their mortgages. He said to ease their situation and prevent evictions en masse the government will build 40-80 sqm light-frame homes where defaulted home-owners can move into and pay rent. The government will soon implement the agreement just sealed with the banking association on fixing repayments for Swiss-franc mortgages at 180 forints to the franc until 2014, Orban told the paper. As for dispossessions, on which a ban will be lifted as of July 1, Orban said it would only affect real estate worth 30 million forints or more in the first phase. "The richest will come first, as they are the ones who can find a solution quickest. The poor are the very last to be affected," he said, adding that poor families will have three options to choose from: stay in their homes which the state will purchase and pay rent, move to a smaller home and restructure their mortgage, or become tenants in state-owned housing. Orban said work on building homes on state-owned land in the outskirts of Budapest for the latter option will start soon. He said officials are looking into options to build these homes in public works projects to make it even cheaper. Reflecting on the government's first year in office, Orban said if he could do it over, he would do the same again. In particular, the paper asked him about the move to curtail the powers of the constitutional court and another move to scrap mandatory private pensions and channel pension savings into the state fund. Orban said he regretted neither. "In the first case, the idea was that until the economy gets back on its feet, the Constitutional Court should not have a say in tax matters, but, in the end, I was convinced that there should be a few exceptions. It is precisely then that they axed the law on 98 percent tax on severance pay. I still wonder whether I was right to make concessions," he said. Orban said the pension system's restructuring was a key issue, and the process of returning the state pension system to sound footing is still not complete. On the government's current debate on early retirement with law enforcement and fire services unions, who are protesting government plans to take away what they feel were rights earlier earned, Orban said "our starting point has not changed." "First, Hungary was on the verge of collapse a year ago and is still in a financial danger zone. In such times I would not use the phrase 'earned right',", he said, adding that "there is no one in Hungary currently in the position to think they do not need to change the life they had been living." Orban insisted he expected law enforcement staff to work. http://www.politics.hu/20110606/pm-says-government-makeup-likely-to-change- http://www.politics.hu/20110606/pm-says-government-makeup-likely-to-change- news auth_mti public finance and administration viktor orban Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:03:59 +0100 Following is a translation of the second part of Index.hu's series examining the government's fulfillment of promises made during the election campaign a year ago. You can read our translation of part one here. Promise 18: "The defense ministry will not sign contracts with dentist's offices." Promised by: Péter Szijjártó When: April 22, 2010 Where: Press conference, Budapest Realized: 90% The ministry has no contracts with any dentist's offices - such contracts caused a small scandal under the previous government - but it has Lajos Gubcsi. (Gubcsi - the only leader of a defense ministry company with a past in the Central Committee of the Hungarian Communist Youth Association - used the ministry's communications company to publish his books.) Promise 19: "There will be no radar station on the Tubes hill." Promised by: Viktor Orbán When: February 8, 2010 Where: MTV Realized: 100% It became official in July 2010 that there would be no radar station built on the hill near Pécs. It will instead likely be built on the Medina hill, which is not a protected area and not inhabited, either. Promise 20: "There will be a green bank." [This planned financial institution would help owners of panel apartments make their home more energy efficient.] Promised by: Viktor Orbán When: February 8, 2010 Where: Hír TV Realized: 30% There is still no green bank, but State Secretary János Fónagy keeps insiting there will be one later. It seems the government is working on it, and it will be established on January 1, 2012. Promise 21: "There will be a new civil code." Promised by: Róbert Répássy When: October 13, 2009 Where: MTI interview Realized: 40% The government is working on a new civil code, and a draft is expected to be completed by the middle of summer. The law is expected to be passed in December and come into effect on January 1, 2013. Promise 22: "There will be a Pécs bypass road." Promised by: Viktor Orbán When: March 29, 2010 Where: Pécs Realized: 0% Despite the government promising it would be among its first measures to built a bypass road around Pécs, it was not built. Promise 23: "There will not be registration tickets." Promised by: János Fónagy When: March 1, 2010 Where: Kossuth Radio Realized: 0% The system of registration tickets introduced during the prime ministership of Gordon Bajnai - which costs hundreds of millions of forints - is still in place. (Passengers who use pubic transport for free are required to get registered so that their travel habits can be seen.) Promise 24: "There will be trains again." Promised by: János Fónagy When: November 27, 2009 Where: Representatives' Offices, Budapest Realized: 50% The government reopened 13 railways lines of the 41 closed by the previous government. Promise 25: "There will be one PE class each day." Promised by: Erik Bánki When: February 18, 2010 Where: Index interview Realized: 10% Doing some physical exercise each day will be required from the next school year, but daily PE classes have not been introduced.]]> http://www.politics.hu/20110603/a-catalogue-of-fideszs-kept-and-broken-promises-year-one-part-two http://www.politics.hu/20110603/a-catalogue-of-fideszs-kept-and-broken-promises-year-one-part-two Political Pest fidesz parties and elections public finance and administration Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:32:35 +0100 The representatives of the government and law enforcement and fire-services unions failed to reach agreement at Thursday talks on new early retirement rules and other work-related changes affecting the sector. Linda Nagy, spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry, told MTI that the two sides had come closer and negotiations would continue on Friday. Pal Powell, the chairman of the Interest-Coordination Forum for Law Enforcement Employees, said they had been given a new draft plan which appears unacceptable in its present form. Earlier in the day, the spokesman for Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Orban had told union leaders that talks should be concluded by the weekend. Peter Szijjarto said talks in parliament between Sandor Pinter, the interior minister, and the representatives of workers had been "calm, correct and temperate". Talks will be continued, and once they are concluded, the prime minister will personally receive the union delegations, he told a news conference. Pinter said that "we have got closer [to the point] that the unions are again taking into consideration the expectations [we have]." http://www.politics.hu/20110603/govt-law-enforcement-unions-to-continue-talks http://www.politics.hu/20110603/govt-law-enforcement-unions-to-continue-talks news auth_mti linda nagy pal powell peter szijjarto public finance and administration sandor pinter viktor orban Fri, 03 Jun 2011 07:34:52 +0100 Ildiko Lendvai, a lawmaker of the opposition Socialist party and a member of parliament's human rights committee, called on the government to "pursue a real dialogue" with experts and social players on Hungary's contested new media laws. After a Thursday meeting of the committee attended by Frank La Rue, Rapporteur for the United Nations monitoring freedom of opinion and expression, Lendvai said in a statement sent to MTI that the government had "created conflict with the official by not allowing certain civil groups to attend the meeting". At the meeting La Rue criticised the media law, questioned the independence of the new Media Council and raised concern over the protection of journalists' sources. He said that the adoption of the media law and a subsequent amendment had not been preceded by broad consultations with voters. The rapporteur said that Hungary's lawmakers had disregarded several of the recommendations he had made during an April visit to Budapest - including one calling for consultations with social players before adopting the contested media legislation. "Representatives of many European countries feel that the Hungarian media law is not in line with the laws effective in those countries," La Rue said. He stressed the importance of the independence of the media, and said that the Hungarian Media Council could only become a creditable body when its decisions reflected the views of both the opposition parties and of civil organisations. Head of the parliamentary committee Tamas Lukacs insisted that the media law was in line with European norms and added that Hungary had made amendments to the clauses criticised by the international community. Lawmaker for the ruling Fidesz party Ilona Ekes said that the "hysterical" reactions to the media law were unfounded. Representatives of the Society for Civil Liberties (TASZ) and Amnesty International Hungary said that despite the modifications the Hungarian law still went against European norms. During preparations for the meeting, an argument developed between Lukacs and La Rue, when Lukacs refused to invite the civil groups La Rue had suggested to the meeting. Lukacs said popular support for the suggested organisations was overrated. Lendvai said representatives of the Eotvos Karoly Public Policy Institute and of the civil initiative "One Million People for Press Freedom" were not invited to the meeting. http://www.politics.hu/20110603/un-rapporteur-raises-concern-over-media-independence http://www.politics.hu/20110603/un-rapporteur-raises-concern-over-media-independence news auth_mti ildiko lendvai ilona ekes legislation Fri, 03 Jun 2011 07:30:55 +0100 Former president of the republic, Ferenc Madl, is to be buried in a Catholic ritual with military honours at the Fiumei Street National Cemetery next Tuesday in a ceremony starting at 4.30pm. President Pal Schmitt will be among officials and dignitaries giving speeches at the funeral, the government communications state secretariat told MTI in a statement on Thursday. The funeral will be broadcast live by public television MTV. Cardinal Peter Erdos, head of the Catholic Church in Hungary, will celebrate an evening mass at the Basilica which will be closed to members of the press but broadcast live on large screens outside the building. Madl, who was president between 2000 and 2005, died on May 29 at the age of 80. http://www.politics.hu/20110603/former-president-to-be-buried-with-military-honors-on-june-7 http://www.politics.hu/20110603/former-president-to-be-buried-with-military-honors-on-june-7 news auth_mti ferenc madl pal schmitt people peter erdos Fri, 03 Jun 2011 07:28:16 +0100 Investigations into graft allegations at the Defence Ministry in 2005-2010 have revealed damages to the state of 1.8 billion forints (EUR 6.8m), the Defence Minister told a press conference on Thursday. Csaba Hende said ministry funds had been siphoned off via ministry-owned companies operating as subcontractors. The public prosecutor has launched probes into 45 accounts and 12 chief executive officers. The most grievous case revealed so far involves an alleged 596 million forints (EUR 2.2 m), Hende said. http://www.politics.hu/20110603/investigations-reveal-68-million-graft-at-defense-ministry http://www.politics.hu/20110603/investigations-reveal-68-million-graft-at-defense-ministry news auth_mti csaba hende public finance and administration Fri, 03 Jun 2011 07:22:43 +0100 The National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) will operate a hotline in the future where citizens may report harmful content accessible on the internet, president Annamária Szalai announced on Thursday. Speaking at a conference entitled Information Society Parliament, she said civil groups operate an infrastructure that enables the speedy reporting of violent, xenophobic, terrorist or paedophile content, but they are continuously beset by a lack of funds. http://www.politics.hu/20110603/hotline-for-reporting-harmful-online-content-to-be-opened http://www.politics.hu/20110603/hotline-for-reporting-harmful-online-content-to-be-opened news annamaria szalai auth_hatc cultural politics Fri, 03 Jun 2011 07:02:29 +0100 Prime Minister Viktor Orban has told union leaders representing the armed services and firemen that talks under way between the government and unions should be concluded by the weekend, Orban's spokesman said on Thursday. Peter Szijjarto said talks in parliament between Sandor Pinter, the interior minister, and the representatives of workers had been "calm, correct and temperate". Talks will be continued, and once they are concluded, the prime minister will personally receive the union delegations, he told a news conference. Pinter added that "we have got closer [to the point] that the unions are again taking into consideration the expectations [we have]," he said. http://www.politics.hu/20110603/pm-says-deal-with-law-enforcement-fire-service-unions-should-be-ready-by-weekend http://www.politics.hu/20110603/pm-says-deal-with-law-enforcement-fire-service-unions-should-be-ready-by-weekend news auth_mti peter szijjarto public finance and administration sandor pinter viktor orban Fri, 03 Jun 2011 05:01:37 +0100 Új Szó, an elderly woman in Nové Zámky (Érsekújvár) was visited by a man shaved bald who told her that she would be deported if she said in the questionnaire that she was Hungarian. Other elderly people chatting in Hungarian in the street were approached by someone who told them they would lose their Slovak citizenship if they responded they were Hungarians. Census questionnaires have to be returned by June 6. Slovakia's constitution ensures that nobody should experience disadvantage for saying they are ethnic Hungarians. [index.hu]]]> http://www.politics.hu/20110602/ethnic-hungarians-in-slovakia-reportedly-threatened-with-deportation-over-census http://www.politics.hu/20110602/ethnic-hungarians-in-slovakia-reportedly-threatened-with-deportation-over-census news ethnic politics foreign relations Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:03:16 +0100 in office in an article appearing in the Daily Telegraph on Thursday. Navracsics said Hungary was intent on pushing through the key remaining objectives of its presidency. "We will push as hard as we can to ensure that Croatia's accession talks are concluded, giving our close neighbour a vision for joining the EU [...] The arrest of Ratko Mladic clears a path for Serbia to join and we will press our more recalcitrant EU partners to extend the promise of a more secure and prosperous future to all the people of the western Balkans," the deputy PM, who is also minister of justice and public administration, wrote. Navracsics also said another key goal was finalising the European Framework for Roma strategies. "Hungarian policy makers have led this work from the start, reflecting our determination to improve the prospects of Roma people and ensure their reintegration into mainstream European life," he wrote. On the subject of the Fidesz government's first year in office, Navracsics said its main achievement had been to retake control of the economy. "We are now less beholden to the international financial community. Personal and corporate taxes have come down. Employment is rising and people are returning to the formal economy. After years of catastrophic mismanagement, the Hungarian economy is out of A&E and back on a growth track," he wrote. He added, however, that the government still had much to work on. "We have made a good start but there is no room for complacency. There is a lot to do and my Government will not let up the pace of reform. The Government has set out an ambitious legislative programme. Starting in the autumn, Parliament will debate among other things Hungary's new local government structure, the new electoral law that will reduce the number of MPs from 386 to 200, and a reformed judicial system," Navracsics wrote. ]]> http://www.politics.hu/20110602/deputy-pm-outlines-remaining-goals-of-hungarys-eu-presidency http://www.politics.hu/20110602/deputy-pm-outlines-remaining-goals-of-hungarys-eu-presidency news auth_mti european union tibor navracsics Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:51:57 +0100 Keszthely Castle Museum director László Czoma has been sacked with immediate effect after 27 years without explanation. Czoma told Klubrádió on Wednesday that he has no idea why he was dismissed from his post by the National Asset Manager. He will be replaced by Fidesz deputy mayor Róbert Pálinkás from today. Almost Ft 20 billion worth of development projects were implemented at the museum during Czoma's term, Népszabadság writes. Pálinkás said attendance has fallen in recent years and the museum was on the edge of bankruptcy by March. Czoma said the number of visitors has dropped by a lesser extent than the national average and the castle is still the second most popular museum in Hungary. http://www.politics.hu/20110602/museum-head-sacked-fidesz-deputy-mayor-to-take-over-post http://www.politics.hu/20110602/museum-head-sacked-fidesz-deputy-mayor-to-take-over-post news auth_hatc cultural politics laszlo czoma robert palinkas Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:35:30 +0100 MPs expenses will be reduced and closely monitored under a cardinal bill, while their basic salary will be raised, Népszabadság reports. MPs' gross average monthly salary will go up from Ft 400,000 at present to Ft 600,000, but their expenses will not be reimbursed, their use of petrol will be strictly calculated on official gas cards, and hotel rooms or rented flats will be available only through Parliament's office. The MPs' power to decide on their salary and allowances has been a point of constant criticism for nearly 20 years, Népszabadság observes. Their income is difficult to measure, the newspaper adds, as it comes from several sources. Alongside their basic salary, MPs have expense accounts, including more than Ft 100,000 for accommodation, and receive supplements for serving on committees. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Ft 1.7 million monthly salary is exceeded by the Ft 2.2 million paid to his personal spokesman Péter Szijjártó and to accountability commissioner Gyula Budai. http://www.politics.hu/20110602/mps-to-get-more-pay-less-expenses- http://www.politics.hu/20110602/mps-to-get-more-pay-less-expenses- news auth_hatc public finance and administration Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:33:17 +0100 Szekler Land, a central Romanian region inhabited by an ethnic Hungarian majority, opened a representation office in Brussels on Wednesday in the presence of Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen. The deputy premier emphasised the interdependence of Romanians and Hungarians. "Romania cannot be a successful country if its Hungarian minority does not prosper. Nor can the ethnic Hungarians prosper if Romania is unsuccessful," he said. The activity of the office will not be aimed against anyone and will not hurt the interests of anyone. On the contrary, it will be beneficial to all, including Romania, by attracting EU funds to Szekler Land, said Semjen. The deputy premier said the Hungarian government did not have to comment the hysterical reaction of certain political forces in Romania. Semjen emphasised that the representation office was opened "in full compliance with the letter of the Union". http://www.politics.hu/20110602/szekler-land-opens-representation-office-in-brussels http://www.politics.hu/20110602/szekler-land-opens-representation-office-in-brussels news auth_mti foreign relations and international security zsolt semjen Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:24:40 +0100 Hungarian-Romanian relations are currently at their historic best and the two countries are determined to keep them this way, Foreign State Secretary Zsolt Nemeth said after meeting his Romanian counterpart Bogdan Aurescu in Budapest on Wednesday. He said Aurescu had assured him that the statue of King Matthias in Cluj, revamped jointly by the two countries, demonstrated a "success story". Bucharest is determined to make sure that the current success of Hungarian-Romanian relations continues, he added. The two sides agreed that the current Hungarian-Romanian relations were better than ever before during the past hundred years. Disputes or differences in opinion about singular issues must be seen in this context, Nemeth said. He noted that the Hungarian-Romanian joint committee on ethnic minorities was just meeting in Budapest. On Tuesday Nemeth summoned Romanian ambassador Ireny Comaroschi to express concerns about recent developments affecting the Matthias statue, including the placement of a Romanian flag and a controversial plaque in Romanian at the statue, as well as the stopping of Hungary's ambassador in Bucharest. The plaque shows a quote by Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga who practically stated that Matthias was not Hungarian but of Romanian ethnicity. Nemeth said on Wednesday that he and Aurescu shared the view that the plaque was not compatible with the Hungarian-Romanian agreement. The Romanian government will take the necessary measures and the Bucharest Ministry of Culture has already made its position clear, he added. "We trust that the situation will be resolved and the debates that emerged in bilateral relations can be settled," Nemeth said. http://www.politics.hu/20110602/hungarianromanian-relations-said-at-historic-best http://www.politics.hu/20110602/hungarianromanian-relations-said-at-historic-best news auth_mti foreign relations and international security zsolt nemeth Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:19:13 +0100 The government will draft a medium-term strategy for Hungary's involvement in the Afghanistan mission by November, Foreign State Secretary Zsolt Nemeth told reporters in Budapest on Wednesday. The strategy will envisage a shift from military involvement to training, civilian support and aid, the state secretary said after a session of the government committee in charge of the mission. Hungary will put forward its medium-term strategy in the Afghanistan conference to be held in Bonn in December, he said. The state secretary said that the security situation in the northern Baghlan province where Hungary is heading a provincial reconstruction team was still fragile even if improving. Hungary has implemented over 500 projects in Afghanistan representing a total value of 2 billion forints (EUR 7.5m) over the past few years, Nemeth said. The 450 to 500 Hungarians stationed in Afghanistan make up nearly half of the approximately 1,000 soldiers involved in international missions, he said. Nemeth reaffirmed Hungary's commitment to continued presence in Afghanistan. He noted that the international community planned to complete its mission by late 2014 when responsibility for Afghanistan's military security will shift onto the local forces. Asked about how long Hungarians will stay on Afghan soil, the state secretary said, "in the short term, we do not expect ... our involvement to come to an end. We have entered Afghanistan together and plan to leave it together." http://www.politics.hu/20110602/govt-to-draft-mediumterm-strategy-for-afghanistan-mission http://www.politics.hu/20110602/govt-to-draft-mediumterm-strategy-for-afghanistan-mission news auth_mti foreign relations and international security zsolt nemeth Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:14:25 +0100