DiscussMormonism.com

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.

ludwigm wrote:....

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.

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.

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