Parliament plenary session today – UPDATE

Lawmakers re-endorse law on speeding up key state projects

Budapest, March 17 (MTI) – Lawmakers on Tuesday reapproved a law amendment, earlier returned to them by the president, without any changes.

The law in question is one of two laws Hungary’s President Janos Ader returned to lawmakers for reconsideration on March 10.

Lawmakers endorsed the law in its original form in a vote of 111 in favour, 62 against and one abstention.

The law is aimed at speeding up administrative procedures for investments of key importance to the national economy. Under its stipulations, authorities will be allowed to announce any decisions in connection with the project by publishing an official notice. The decision is enforced five days after its promulgation, according to the law.

Ader criticised the law on this point, arguing that in a fair procedure clients should be directly notified before any consequences are enforced.

Lawmakers move to boost privacy protections

Budapest, March 17 (MTI) – Lawmakers on Tuesday passed a law which introduces a new type of lawsuit to protect people’s rights by allowing them to restrict the use of third-party visual and audio recordings made of them.

The law amendment passed with 113 governing party lawmakers voting in favour while 42 Socialists, an LMP and an independent lawmaker voted against and 22 Jobbik lawmakers abstained.

The amendment calls for parties to the lawsuit to try and settle before taking their case to court. It also states that if a case is tried in court, it is the defendant who must prove that permission was obtained before a photograph or recording was made of the plaintiff.

Lawmakers give nod to 2016 interim census
Budapest, March 17 (MTI) – Lawmakers voted to endorse a motion to hold an interim census in Hungary in October 2016.

The proposal submitted by cabinet chief Janos Lazar will survey 10 percent of Hungarian households to gauge changes that have taken place in the five years since the last major census was taken.

Lawmakers passed the motion with 142 governing, Jobbik and LMP lawmakers in favour, 5 independents against and 30 Socialists and an independent abstaining.

A full-scale census is held by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) every ten years, with the next one due in 2021.

Photo: MTI