Mr. Viktor Orbán’s new constitution eliminates the freedom of choice since it declares that one will need to have two-third majority to change the key elements of taxation policy, family benefits and pension systems. We know form Mr. Orbán himself – and this time he may be right – that there will not be any party that can have a two third majority in the foreseeable future. Starting from this statement, one can easily model the political situation. There may come a party which promises in its 2014 election campaign that it would change and correct the obvious social injustice of Fidesz’s flat-rate tax policy, hence it will reintroduce the progressive tax regime, and ask for more contributions from the wealthy. Let’s assume that this party will make this promise in a credible way. It may be a popular and well-founded program; also this party may be able to get the necessary voter support to execute this program, and that is what a democratic election is all about. However, it is not possible to execute such a program from Easter Monday onwards. Even a future government with clear mandate and majority will not be able to keep its promise. This is because first it needs to agree with Fidesz, which – when it was in government – executed a program on the contrary.
The new constitution makes Hungary ungovernable, at least without Fidesz. A program in 2014 – or maybe even earlier – needs to be given on the correction of the parliamentary democracy with parliamentary and democratic tools. And if a party can get an obvious mandate for this, then nobody in politics can go against it long term. This is at least such an everlasting rule as the fact that everybody will fail eventually.
Zoltán Gál J., Vasárnapi Hírek, April 17. 2011.
Last Updated on Thursday, 28 April 2011 15:07
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