In a free and fair election last spring in Hungary, the center-right political party, Fidesz, got 53% of the vote. This translated into 68% of the seats in the parliament under Hungary’s current disproportionate election law. With this supermajority, Fidesz won the power to change the constitution. They have used this power in the most extreme way at every turn, amending the constitution ten times in their first year in office and then enacting a wholly new constitution that will take effect on January 1, 2012.
This constitutional activity has transformed the legal landscape to remove checks on the power of the government and put virtually all power into the hands of the current governing party for the foreseeable future.
Yes, I know the events in a small country in somewhere Europe are not and can not be .. er .. um .. important.
But among the ~150-200 comments there are interesting parallels with republicans and/or right-wingers... (I think)
by the way there are names say not much to me, for example: - Does it strike anyone else how close this nightmare is to Newtie's ideal state? - Sounds like Jarvis-Gann plus Newt run wild.
- Whenever a poet or preacher, chief or wizard spouts gibberish, the human race spends centuries deciphering the message. - Umberto Eco - To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin. - Cardinal Bellarmine at the trial of Galilei
by the way there are names say not much to me, for example: - Does it strike anyone else how close this nightmare is to Newtie's ideal state? - Sounds like Jarvis-Gann plus Newt run wild.
'Newt' and 'Newtie' refer to Newt Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House who is running for President of the US in the Republican primaries.
Jarvis-Gann refers to Proposition 13, a referendum passed in California in the late 1970s (or early 1980s) that limited property taxes.
Protesting MPs formed a human chain at the parliament entrance
Former Prime Minister was among those detained by police
Hungarian police have broken up a demonstration by green liberal opposition MPs who chained themselves together outside parliament.
Twenty-seven activists were detained by Budapest police. Eleven MPs were among them, including former Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany.
The opposition objects to key laws on elections, taxation and the central bank, set to be adopted by parliament.
They say the laws will tighten the ruling Fidesz party's grip on power.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban's centre-right Fidesz has an unprecedented two-thirds majority in parliament. It used a fast-track procedure leaving little time for debate on the new laws.
- Whenever a poet or preacher, chief or wizard spouts gibberish, the human race spends centuries deciphering the message. - Umberto Eco - To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin. - Cardinal Bellarmine at the trial of Galilei
by the way this György Szapáry was appointed Hungarian Ambassador to the United States of America in early 2011 - by the government which has absolute power today in Hungary. This can be deducted from his opinion...
Re “Depression and Democracy,” by Paul Krugman (column, Dec. 12):
As an economist and former official of the International Monetary Fund, I have always read Mr. Krugman’s work with great interest; I was therefore surprised to read his summary judgment on Hungary.
He refers to gerrymandering, while in fact the proposed electoral law stipulates explicitly that individual constituencies shall cover a coherent area, exactly to avoid what Mr. Krugman assumes that the government is doing.
As for judicial independence, just as in the United States, where judges are often selected and confirmed by elected officials, let us give the Hungarian judges the necessary respect and not assume that they are mere puppets of politicians.
Regarding the Hungarian media, anyone who reads the Hungarian press can see as much outspoken criticism about the government as ever.
The supposed criminalization of the Socialist Party that Mr. Krugman cites is only a symbolic and political declaration that acknowledges the horrors of the previous Communist regime, something that most former Communist countries in Europe did years ago.
Criticism from our friends is appreciated, but sweeping statements based on oversimplification do more harm than good for Hungary — and for your readers.
GYÖRGY SZAPÁRY Ambassador of Hungary Washington, Dec. 14, 2011
- Whenever a poet or preacher, chief or wizard spouts gibberish, the human race spends centuries deciphering the message. - Umberto Eco - To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin. - Cardinal Bellarmine at the trial of Galilei
