New National Day to be introduced in Hungary

The ruling Fidesz and Christian Democratic parties on Friday submitted to parliament a bill on the importance and day of the Golden Bull of 1222, an edict that established constitutional limits on the power of monarchs.

The bill would declare that the members of Hungary’s National Assembly “who respect the achievements of the country’s historical constitution” believe that “the state has a fundamental duty to protect our identity rooted in our historical constitution”.

The sponsors of the bill say it would constitute a recognition by parliament that the ideas contained in the 800-year-old document can be considered the intellectual historical forerunner to modern democracy.

The Golden Bull, issued by King Andrew II on April 24, 1222, established the rights of the nobility and served as a pillar of Hungary’s legal system for centuries.