Hungary: Trouble for Democracy and Rule of Law - Explaining the Basics - Mindenki Joga Radio Show
Channel: JD in Hu
Date: 2013-03-14

'Mindenki Joga' on Budapest Hungary's Civil Radio 98fm — Facebook » http://Facebook.com/MindenkiJoga — mp3 blog http://LMV.hu/Mindenkijoga — (March 13 2013)

Blog Post: http://lmv.hu/node/7773

Hungary after the 4th Constitutional Amendment:
a Central European University Roundtable discussion 
March 13 2013

Human RightS Initiative (HRSI)
http://hrsi.ceu.hu/

Central European University
http://ceu.hu/

Panel Speakers
Nóra Novoszádek - Hungarian Helsinki Committee
Tamás Dombos - Hungarian LGBT Alliance
Bertalanné Lakatos - A Város Mindenkié (The City is For All)
Dániel G. Szabó - Hallgatói Hálózat (Student Network)
Eszter Polgari -- CEU Department of Legal Studies

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/138773712966022/

This past Monday, March 11 2013, the Hungarian parliament passed a set of constitutional amendments that many NGOs, civil society groups, and European governance bodies worry will severely limit human rights and impede democratic processes for Hungary and its citizens. This 4th set to of amendments to the current Constitution -- only ratified 14 months ago - will make a number of significant changes to Hungary's common law such as limiting the economic and academic autonomy of universities, limiting students' freedom of movement, criminalizing homelessness, codifying marriage as only between man and women, and severely curtailing the constitutional courts power. Many of these amendments reinstate laws that recently been declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court while simultaneously removing power from the Court to overturn laws.

HRSI in collaboration with A Város Mindenkié (The City is For All), Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Hungarian LGBT Association, and Hallgatói Hálózat (Student Network) have organized a roundtable with these NGOs to provide a platform at CEU for open conversation and dialogue about these Constitutional changes by discussing their problems as well as moving towards potential solutions and responses. As part of HRSIs awareness raising program in addition with our regional networking program, we feel that this moment in Hungary presents an opportunity to discuss the events of our local context as they so much intersect with issues of promoting human rights and promulgating civil society.

You can find the amendment in English here: 
http://lapa.princeton.edu/hosteddocs/hungary/Fourth%20Amendment%20to%20the%20FL%20-Eng%20Corrected.pdf