Ruling parties, opposition LMP reach deal on top court nominees – UPDATE

Budapest, November 17 (MTI) – The ruling Fidesz-KDNP alliance and green opposition LMP on Thursday reached an agreement on the nominees to fill the four vacancies on the Constitutional Court, Fidesz group leader Lajos Kósa said. Constitutional judge Tamás Sulyok has been nominated for the post of Constitutional Court president by Parliamentary Speaker László Kövér.

The three parliamentary groups agreed to nominate Kúria Justice Ildikó Marosi, Attila Horváth, legal historian, Balázs Schanda, constitutional lawyer and Marcel Szabó, deputy ombudsman in charge of future generations, Gergely Gulyás, deputy head of the parliamentary committee in charge of nominating constitutional court justices, told a press conference.

Parliament is expected to vote on the nominees next Tuesday.

Kosa said the three parties had also reached an agreement on who they would nominate to head the Constitutional Court.

Constitutional judge Tamás Sulyok nominated for top court head

The 15 members of the court are elected by parliament, with two-thirds support of all lawmakers, for twelve years. The head of the court is also elected by parliament, from among the judges.

The number of Constitutional Court judges dropped to 11 last year and the post of president is currently unfilled. Sulyok was elected a top court member in September 2014. He became deputy head of the court on April 1, 2015 and has been acting president since April 22 this year.

Parliament is expected to vote on the nominees to fill the presidential post and four vacancies next Tuesday.

Reactions

The opposition Socialists called the planned election a move “bordering on a coup”, and announced they would stay away from Tuesday’s vote. Deputy group leader Sándor Burány said the Socialists regretted that LMP was supporting this manoeuvre.

The opposition Jobbik party criticised the governing parties for not consulting them, and accused LMP of “having concluded a backstage pact” with Fidesz. Jobbik said it would form a position on the nominees at a later point.

LMP co-leader Ákos Hadházy said that after the election there would be more court members to make decisions independently from the government. LMP has not asked for anything in exchange for its support, he said. LMP only set the preconditions that the nominees should be independent, committed to the environment and include a woman, he said.

The opposition Democratic Coalition branded LMP as a collaborator for its agreement with the ruling parties on the nominees.

Source: MTI