'Black day for Hungarian democracy' as wide-ranging constitutional amendment passed - EU warns it ai - Polidicks

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/rks1.jpg[/img] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21740743[/url] [quote]Hungary's parliament has adopted a package of constitutional changes proposed by the ruling Fidesz party which critics say undermine democracy. The conservative party has two-thirds of the seats in parliament, but the measures were approved overwhelmingly as opposition MPs boycotted the vote. The EU expressed concern about the bill, which defies some court rulings. German MEP Alexander Lambsdorff urged the European Commission to investigate a possible "systematic violation of European values" by the Hungarian government ahead of the vote, the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reports. The opposition Socialists boycotted the vote, walking out of parliament and hanging black flags from their windows to symbolise a black day for Hungarian democracy.[/quote] [url]http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/03/2013311201227308449.html[/url] [quote]Monday’s fourth amendment to the 14-month-old constitution limits the ability of the constitutional court to challenge new laws, provoking protests in Budapest and drawing criticism from the opposition, the EU and the US. Other changes include allowing party political broadcasts only on state media, committing students who receive state aid to remain in Hungary after graduation for a certain period, and a ban on sleeping on the streets. The amendment also enshrines a definition of the family as "marriage between man and woman", a clause the court previously threw out for being "too narrow" and discriminating against other forms of partnership.[/quote] I've always wondered what would happen if an EU member state drifted towards authoritarianism. Here we go

[QUOTE=smurfy;39880374]I've always wondered what would happen if an EU member state drifted towards authoritarianism. Here we go[/QUOTE] They will get kicked out

"Package of changes" What are these changes other than the one about limiting the power of courts challenging new laws?

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;39880424]"Package of changes" What are these changes other than the one about limiting the power of courts challenging new laws?[/QUOTE] -Marriage is enforced as purely between men and women. -Sleeping on the streets (Or rather, homelessness I assume) is illegal. -No political advertising outside of state media -'Indentured servitude' of Hungarian students

[QUOTE=MrEndangered;39880476] -'Indentured servitude' of Hungarian students[/QUOTE] hahaha jesus fuck that's mental [editline]11th March 2013[/editline] why am i laughing thats fucking terrible

My girlfriend is Hungarian, her parents deliberately sent her abroad because Fidez is fucking mental. And they're trying to limit the teaching of German and English in Schools (Instead encouraging the teaching of Latin) so that young people can no longer disappear into the yonder of the EU

The current ruling party has amended a lot of changes to the constitution, back in 2011, it made the single tax rate (which favours the rich, as the percentage they had to pay went down) the system this way. It also has sent a lot of "constitutional judges", aka those who decide if something is allowed in the constitution or not, into pension, exchanging them to new judges. The student aid situation is the following: A few years ago, higher-level education was free for all. A change was made during spring and enacted at the same moment, without warning. The new system forced the students to sign a contract with the Hungarian govt. that states that the student must work in Hungary for equalient time of his higher education, or the student has to pay for the whole tuition fee. After numerous protests done by students, teachers and politicians, the system was changed yet again: Everyone could get into university, but some fields became pay-only. Protests yet again. At the moment, we are back to the so-called "chained down" system, you work here or pay the tuition fee. The homeless situation is a bit more complicated, it began when a new law made it illegal to live on the streets as a lifestyle. Cue outrage, and the constitutional court voted that law unconstitutional. After that, the government handed the dirty work to it's contractors: Many areas, where the homeless usually slept (underpasses, small alleys, etc) were deemed "unsafe", "restricted areas" and "construction sites". As part of a protest, a lot of people just grabbed the nearest cordon to them and took it to the contractor's HQ. It's now in the constitution, the constitutional judges were exchanged to "more compliant" ones, now it's entirely illegal to be homeless in Hungary. Same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned here now. Thanks for treating me as a non-human, my dear government. There were even attempts made by a christian party, who are in coalition with the currently-ruling dem-soc party to make it illegal to "promote homosexuality". "Minor" public displays of affection would've be fined, "Major" ones could've lead to a jail sentence. Mentioning homosexuality as a positive trait in the media would've lead to fines and/or jail sentences too. The reasons? "Think of the children" and "if homosexuality is legal, why is pedophilia/bestiality not?". Fucking bastards. The huge problem at the moment is that the current ruling party has a 2/3rd majority, and with the constitutional court in it's pocket, it can do changes to the constitution on a whim. It is very likely there won't be another 2/3rd majority made up by the opposition, as ~20% of the voters vote on a radicalist/populist party who have no interest in making coalitions with the left, the right is made up by that, a dem-soc party and a christian-dem party. The left is outnumbered. [editline]12th March 2013[/editline] Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention, students are now forced to take Religious Studies (read: Bible study) or Worldy Ethics in school. [editline]12th March 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Craigewan;39880680]My girlfriend is Hungarian, her parents deliberately sent her abroad because Fidez is fucking mental. And they're trying to limit the teaching of German and English in Schools (Instead encouraging the teaching of Latin) so that young people can no longer disappear into the yonder of the EU[/QUOTE] I haven't heard anything about limiting language studies, I doubt it. If I remember correctly, the government is currently having talks about adding one additional language (adding the tally up to 3) to the requirement of getting a diploma.

Oh for fucks sake.. This is the 21th century hungary.. Get the fuck over the bronze age already.

Isn't Hungary the country that had that vehemently anti-semitic party whose leader turned out to be Jewish?

[QUOTE=Sprockethead;39880811]Oh for fucks sake.. This is the 20th century hungary.. Get the fuck over the bronze age already.[/QUOTE] Ha, mate, it's the 21st century, not the 20th, what the christ.

[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;39880880]Ha, mate, it's the 21st century, not the 20th, what the christ.[/QUOTE] Jesus fuck it was a slip, gimme a break.

[QUOTE=Sprockethead;39880898]Jesus fuck it was a slip, gimme a break.[/QUOTE] your done its over mate, your over like democracy in hungary

[t]http://galeria.cdn.index.hu/belfold/2013/03/11/tunteto_kozepiskolasokat_vittek_el_a_parlament_elol/3987894_dc49e91636561b1886a00ea0f104659a_m.jpg[/t] A small group of high schoolers have "barricaded" the parking lot of the Parliament. [t]http://galeria.cdn.index.hu/belfold/2013/03/11/tunteto_kozepiskolasokat_vittek_el_a_parlament_elol/3988054_ab71a9db915b744d69e30bc1ead91cb9_k.jpg[/t] Not for long, though... [t]http://galeria.cdn.index.hu/belfold/2013/03/11/tunteto_kozepiskolasokat_vittek_el_a_parlament_elol/3987888_8ffcf8e655f46f526335ade8d5cdcd95_k.jpg[/t] Meanwhile, in the Constitution Street, thousands were protesting. [t]http://galeria.cdn.index.hu/belfold/2013/03/09/ezrek_tuntetnek_az_alkotmanymodositas_ellen/3983174_7426dc495314741887264e84b607575e_m.jpg[/t] They started marching... [t]http://galeria.cdn.index.hu/belfold/2013/03/09/spontan_vonulas_kezdodott_az_alkotmanymodositas_elleni_tuntetes_utan/3983742_58de42ab9d9bb205dfd3f32305550cad_m.jpg[/t] ...to the Parliament... [t]http://galeria.cdn.index.hu/belfold/2013/03/09/spontan_vonulas_kezdodott_az_alkotmanymodositas_elleni_tuntetes_utan/3983732_6e048bcdece6c3786317da2529e88c73_m.jpg[/t] ...then to the Constitutional Court. [t]http://galeria.cdn.index.hu/belfold/2013/03/09/spontan_vonulas_kezdodott_az_alkotmanymodositas_elleni_tuntetes_utan/3983746_7c6999117b31f8f60795dc26273c9f44_m.jpg[/t] [t]http://galeria.cdn.index.hu/belfold/2013/03/09/spontan_vonulas_kezdodott_az_alkotmanymodositas_elleni_tuntetes_utan/3983764_926385f6511b190e1efc697c25ca7e88_m.jpg[/t]

May i state that its fucking frustrating to see progress being rolled back like this? I have a feeling that in the future, were gonna have a very violent clash between the people, and the ones who seek to control the people.

I've been noticing many many worrying tendencies in Hungarian politics and society, I know some Hungarians that come over to Germany for work. Antisemitism, homo-hate and racism has become pretty much mainstream.

Hungary: not going to last much longer

[QUOTE=Sprockethead;39881024]May i state that its fucking frustrating to see progress being rolled back like this? I have a feeling that in the future, were gonna have a very violent clash between the people, and the ones who seek to control the people.[/QUOTE] Or a simple repeal of such laws after the opposition gets into power and no one is bothered by such things again.

[QUOTE=Killuah;39881111]I've been noticing many many worrying tendencies in Hungarian politics and society, I know some Hungarians that come over to Germany for work. Antisemitism, homo-hate and racism has become pretty much mainstream.[/QUOTE] Such things always flare up when a country is currently in the shitter. Just take a look at Germany, from right after first world war till the ending of the second world war. Thing's weren't going well, and that's excluding the nazi's actions. [editline]zibzabzup[/editline] Another example: Greece currently (Golden Dawn [SUP](hurr pissboners)[/SUP])

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;39881288]Or a simple repeal of such laws after the opposition gets into power and no one is bothered by such things again.[/QUOTE] The problem is, that the opposition is as hated as the current ruling party. The reason it got a 2/3rd majority was a row of scandals involving a lot and lot of corruption. Even with the popularity of the right declining, I'd say the next election (2014) will have the outcome of 40%(left)-40%(right)-20%(radicalist). The radicalist party has no interest in being in a coalition with either the left of right. It was just simply the product of extraordinary circumstances that the right got a 2/3rd majority. This does not occur often, at all.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;39881288]Or a simple repeal of such laws after the opposition gets into power and no one is bothered by such things again.[/QUOTE] I suppose youll nullify corporate lobbying power with the power of love? Kindly tell religious fanatics to step down and acknowledge the rights of others? Or do you have another snide remark that ties a nice ficticious bow around all the issues.

We've seen in the past that the EU won't tolerate corporations who dodge EU law, and the hammer has struck hard in those cases. I wonder if there are balls (or incentive) to do the same to member states.

Update on the arrested students: Fined for $200, had to spend the night in lockup.

My god, the tide of bullshit has reached FP. I do not agree with multiple of these changes, but saying that they undermine democracy as a whole is just the regular political shit-flinging taken to new levels because the current socialist (if only they were! But they are socialist only in name.) opposition goes crying to the EU's burecracy when they don't like something.

[QUOTE=GÃ©za!;39884951]because the current socialist (if only they were! But they are socialist only in name.) opposition goes crying to the EU's burecracy when they don't like something.[/QUOTE] thank god for that

[QUOTE=VistaPOWA;39880709] The student aid situation is the following: A few years ago, higher-level education was free for all. A change was made during spring and enacted at the same moment, without warning. The new system forced the students to sign a contract with the Hungarian govt. that states that the student must work in Hungary for equalient time of his higher education, or the student has to pay for the whole tuition fee. After numerous protests done by students, teachers and politicians, the system was changed yet again: Everyone could get into university, but some fields became pay-only. Protests yet again. At the moment, we are back to the so-called "chained down" system, you work here or pay the tuition fee. [/QUOTE] god forbid the state hands you free education then want to try and incentivize you to stay in the country and work rather than go elsewhere. I don't even see this as much of a bad thing.

[QUOTE=Aman VII;39885106]god forbid the state hands you free education then want to try and incentivize you to stay in the country and work rather than go elsewhere. I don't even see this as much of a bad thing.[/QUOTE] All that will probably do is alienate people from getting an education in Hungary.

What's happening to my country? ):