Constitutional Mob Rule in Hungary

2013. március 28. 14:11

The institutional erosion in Budapest clearly violates the spirit of fundamental European values.

2013. március 28. 14:11
George Kopits

"A number of recent constitutional amendments by Hungary's Parliament have received well-deserved criticism from foreign governments and the European Union. Particularly troubling is the amendment granting practically unlimited power to Parliament to overturn decisions of the constitutional court, including retroactively.

With these changes in hand, and commanding a disciplined two-thirds majority in Parliament, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is now capable of exercising constitutional mob rule. By the definition attributed to Thomas Jefferson, this is government by which a majority may take away the rights of the rest of the population.

These developments would be worrisome enough on their own. But the international community has paid far less attention to the creeping centralization of economic policy under Mr. Orban. The recent appointment of Gyorgy Matolcsy as central bank governor is the culmination of Mr. Orban's relentless campaign to extinguish checks and balances—a campaign that began nearly three years ago with the passage of an amendment curtailing the constitutional court's jurisdiction over cases involving budgetary and tax measures. (...)

Can anything keep Hungary from its path of democratic and economic erosion? Financial markets have not punished Hungary unbearably so far. Hungary's stagnant economy and high public debt mean that Budapest pays a high risk premium on its junk-rated sovereign bonds. It lacks the supply of natural resources that has served as an economic cushion for populist governments in Venezuela and Argentina.
But EU membership and the Hungarian central bank's foreign-exchange reserves have so far helped fend off a sudden stop in capital inflows. The Orban government also benefits from the widespread appeal of high-yield junk bonds, both corporate and sovereign, in today's low-interest rate environment."

 

Összesen 5 komment

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Sorrend:
Jan from Chicago
2013. április 04. 16:53
Go, Hungary! Take care of the people! You are in our prayers everywhere. Don't worry about the wolves in sheep's clothing, they are just gnashing their teeth. The path to reform is personal morality plus economic protection of the vulnerable, and you are leading the way.
OrangeOrder
2013. április 04. 10:22
You monkeys have been protesting only since 2010.
picur3ka
2013. április 01. 01:38
At this paper they are so democratic, you cannot comment if you are foreign, for you cannot even register.
picur3ka
2013. április 01. 01:17
Thank you, exactly so.
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