Hungarian Parliament’s final session brings key amendments to the constitution, election act, and more 🔄

In the Hungarian parliament, Fidesz, the governing party with a two-thirds majority, has introduced several important changes to the lawmakers:

Hungarian Parliament vote on law establishing 2025 budget

MPs approved legislation for establishing the 2025 budget in a vote in parliament on Tuesday.

The law includes several measures in various fields and was approved by lawmakers with a vote of 134 for, 47 against and 8 abstentions.

The law removes the legal institution of special economic zones from the statutory regulation as of January 1. The competent local municipalities will once again perform local government and state administration tasks related to the areas.

The February date for the payment of the bonus thirteenth monthly pension has been raised to a statutory level.

The law imposes a HUF 1.2m annual threshold limit for subscriptions of baby bonds on Start accounts in a calendar year per person.

A provision that the government sector balance must be determined in such a way that its deficit does not exceed 3pc of GDP has been removed from the stability act. The new regulations state that the government sector balance must be decided in accordance with the Basic Law and European Union law.

The law authorises the government to decide on the alienation of state-owned properties next to national core network railway tracks in the national economic interest, or on the establishment of land use rights on them, or on the creation of undivided common ownerships.

It was also determined that business associations that develop and operate real estate that is part of the national core network railway track, in which the state’s direct or indirect share reaches 10pc, will be considered to be included in state property.

Amendments on higher education, family affairs, culture

Hungarian Parliament approved amendments to laws on higher education, family affairs and culture with 134 votes in support, 17 against and 39 abstentions.

In line with the amendments, married students who have children will be eligible for state scholarships until the age of 30, and tuition-paying students will be transferred to state scholarships if they get married and have children.

Students returning to Hungary after taking out a student loan abroad will have the option to repay their loan through the Hungarian student loan system.

Students raising children aged under 14 will be allowed to choose distance learning.

Several foundations operating universities will receive properties free of charge.

The state can operate museums in the future, the local council, or by non-profit economic organisations owned by the state or local council.

The Fudan Hungary University Foundation will change its name to Tudas-Ter Foundation, and it will be tasked with implementing a student quarter dormitory development program under the arrangements of university cooperation and to develop student welfare services.

read also: Hungarian MPs decide on important tax laws

Lawmakers tighten criminal code’s statute of limitations rules

Parliament voted unanimously to tighten the criminal code’s rules on the statute of limitations.

In line with the amendment approved with 190 votes in favour, zero tolerance will apply regardless of the age of the perpetrator, and the statute of limitations will be eliminated in cases of serious crimes punishable by life imprisonment.

Current regulations stipulate that the maximum prison sentence for perpetrators aged under 16 is 10 years, and for perpetrators aged between 16 and 18 years it is 15 years. Additionally, there is currently a statute of limitations in force in such cases, and the crimes lapse after 10 years or 15 years, respectively.

In line with the amendment approved by parliament, a statute of limitations will be applicable only in the case of crimes punishable by over 10 and 15 years in prison.

The new regulations will enter into force on January 1.

The governing party has redrawn the electoral map to suit itself

Parliament voted in favour of the amendment to the electoral law on Tuesday, with 134 votes in favour and 52 against, and no abstentions.

• The ruling party has completely redrawn the previously known electoral districts:
  Budapest, which was the opposition’s stronghold, has been truncated from 18 to 16 constituencies, meaning that two fewer individual MPs from the capital will be able to enter Parliament. For the amendment, all constituencies in the capital will be redrawn based on Fidesz’s analysis.
• The two extra single MPs will be allocated to Pest county, which will have 14 constituencies in 2026 instead of the current 12.
• The constituencies of Fejér and Csongrád-Csanád counties have also been changed.
• Under the new law, it will no longer be necessary to carry an address card with you to vote, but only an identity card, passport or driving licence will be required to prove your identity.
• The rules on the bundling and storage of ballot papers are clarified.
• The law also creates the possibility and obligation of an automatic recount of votes.

The head of the committee Imre Vejkey, of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, said during the debate about the proposal that changes in demographics had prompted the amendments to the constituency allocations. The opposition parties have sharply criticised the proposal, saying that the changes served the interests of the ruling parties.

read also: Hungarian Parliament again extends the state of emergency

Lawmakers adopt 14th constitutional amendment

Lawmakers adopted the 14th amendment to Hungary’s constitution, giving parliament room to elect the chief prosecutor from outside the prosecutorial system.

The amendment passed with 135 votes in favour and 53 against.

In their justification for the amendment, the authors of the bill said the amendment brings the regulation in line with the domestic practice, arguing that two of Hungary’s three chief prosecutors since the change of regime in 1989/90 had not been prosecutors before their election.

The amendment proposal submitted by parliament’s justice committee also makes reference to international examples, pointing out that many European countries do not require the chief prosecutor to have served as a prosecutor before fulfilling the role.

The amendment will enter into force on January 1, 2025. Chief Public Prosecutor Peter Polt’s mandate expires in 2028.

The amendment also raises the minimum age for judges from 30 to 35 years effective March 1, 2025. Also, as of January 1, 2026, judges will be allowed to remain on the bench until the age of 70.

Parlt adopts amendments to laws on digitalisation of documents

Parliament adopted amendments to laws pertaining to digital citizenship and the digitalisation of documents on Tuesday.

The new regulations, adopted with 135 votes in favour, 22 against and 33 abstentions, are designed to fine-tune regulations and to align them with European Union law.

Personal data are already available in an application. From February 2025, users will be able to download and forward the authenticated contents of many official documents.

With the exception of personal IDs, documents will only be issued in physical form upon specific request. ID cards will be issued free of charge, but people above 14 will have to pay for the issuance of physical documents in other cases. Pensioners will have discount prices.

By reducing the number of plastic and paper documents, the government is expecting to reduce plastic waste by 11.1 tonnes a year, and paper waste by 1.2 tonnes.