Budapest (MTI) – Governing Fidesz will submit to parliament an amendment to the public finance law by mid-November, “making it possible to take a stand on residency bonds”, Lajos Kósa, the party’s group leader, said on Monday.
The opposition Jobbik party has said it will only support a constitutional amendment initiated by the prime minister to reflect the outcome of Hungary’s Oct 2. referendum on mandatory EU migrant quotas on condition the government scraps residency bonds. A constitutional amendment requires the support of two-thirds of 199 lawmakers to pass. The governing parties have 131 mandates.
Kósa told a press conference that parliamentary groups would still hold consultations on the constitutional amendment on Wednesday, adding that lawmakers may debate the related bill in parliament. Responding to a question he said that “no backdoor deals had been brokered with various lawmakers” concerning the final vote on the constitutional amendment.
Kósa would not say whether a final vote planned originally in parliament on Nov. 8 would in fact be held.
Concerning Jobbik’s standpoint, Kósa reiterated his party’s position that “protecting the country is not up for bargain”.
He branded Jobbik leader Gábor Vona’s suggestion that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán should resign in the event the constitutional amendment fails to pass as “stupid”.
On another topic, Kósa said Fidesz’s group would not support two opposition initiatives for national referendums currently before parliament. These concern a ban on the further sales of state-owned farmland and the introduction of a salary cap for the heads of state-owned companies.
The initiatives failed to get the required 200,000 signatures but as more than 100,000 Hungarians signed the referendum initiatives, lawmakers may still consider calling the referendums.
He also said that parliament may decide on Tuesday on whether to shut down the sale of state-owned farmland.
Meanwhile, he said parliament is scheduled to hold this year’s last plenary on the week starting on Dec. 12.
Photo: MTI
Source: MTI
