A New Constitution for Hungary

„The constitution will not decide the question of voting rights for Hungarian citizens who do not reside in Hungary. This question will be addressed in the course of the upcoming parliamentary debate on the Act on Electoral Procedure. Politicians in the governing party have already made it clear that they wish to follow the widespread European practice on this issue—namely, to grant voting rights in some form to everyone with Hungarian citizenship.

Lastly, regarding public finances, the constitution will introduce strict rules that will prevent any future government from bankrupting the country again. Cutting state debt is one of the government’s main goals. State debt is currently more than 80% of GDP. This places an enormous burden on the Hungarian economy.

For this reason, under the new constitution, no government will be able to adopt a budget that increases the level of state debt. By continuously bearing down on public debt, we aim to achieve a debt ratio of 50% by the end of this decade.

Taken together, the measures in Hungary’s new constitution conform fully with European tradition. They strengthen Hungary’s commitment to individual freedom, democracy and the rule of law. They preserve the traditions of Hungarian parliamentarianism and the institutions of state. Most importantly, the constitution draws a line under the last 20 years, and locks in the values of the political transition of 1989-90.”