Hungary and European Commission clash

Hungary does seem to be sliding into authoritariansism, but, reading between the lines, there are issues over sovereignty in the economic area.


Hungary's legal issues

AL Jazeera

The European Commission says it will take legal action against the Hungarian government for failing to make authoritarian new laws comply with EU legislation.

The European Union's executive body said the new constitution undermines the independence of the national central bank and judiciary and does not respect data privacy principles.
(emphasis mine)

Gloves are off: EU launches legal challenges against Hungary’s new constitution

Washington Post,

18 January, 2012

The European Union and Hungary brought their fight over democratic rights fully into the open Tuesday, with the EU Commission launching legal challenges against the former Soviet-bloc country many fear may be slipping back toward authoritarianism.

The EU’s executive Commission said the new constitution that came into force Jan. 1 undermines the independence of the national central bank and the judiciary and does not respect data privacy principles.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose grip on power has already earned him the nickname “Viktator,” defied the criticism and invited himself to the EU parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday to confront European detractors head on.

“We won’t allow the international left to accuse Hungary through lies and baseless slander,” his office said in a statement.

The EU Commission said it had found enough evidence to start legal proceedings, which may end up in a court case later this year, highlighting a general discomfort about Hungary, where critics fear creeping fallback to a centralized one-party rule under Orban’s Fidesz party.

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