Hungary moves to charge former PMs for political decisions they took

[Martinus]

Hungary moves to charge former PMs

Hungary's government is trying to introduce legislation that would allow the state to charge three former prime ministers with "criminal" mismanagement of economic policy after the national debt spiralled upwards in the last decade.

In a step that could provoke alarm among officials in other heavily indebted countries, the centre-right Fidesz government is targeting three former socialist premiers who goverened from 2002-10, and potentially their finance ministers. State debt rose over that period from 53 per cent of gross domestic product to 80 per cent.

Opposition parties have denounced the move as the latest attempt by the government of prime minister Viktor Orban to undermine its socialist rivals and entrench its power, after winning a two-thirds parliamentary majority last year. But if successful, it could set an international precedent by holding officials criminally responsible for the results of their policies.

The attempt has some parallels with the situation in neighbouring Ukraine. Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister, is standing trial – seen by her supporters as politically motivated – over a 2009 gas deal she signed with Russia that prosecutors say caused damage to the state of $190m.

Hungary's move follows a parliamentary probe initiated by Fidesz members into the economic policies of Peter Medgyessy, Ferenc Gyurcsany and Gordon Bajnai, prime ministers during the period concerned.
The investigation, concluded at the weekend, proved the socialist-led coalitions had "committed a political crime against Hungary" and should be held responsible, said Peter Szijjarto, Mr Orban's spokesman and the deputy chairman of the committee responsible.

Mr Gyurcsany, Hungary's premier in 2004-09 and widely seen as the prime target of the government's attempts to bring charges, denies wrongdoing and questions the legality of retroactive legislation.
"This criminalisation action, making it retrospective, raises many questions. I cannot see how it is lawful. This is part of the complicated political game led by Fidesz [to discredit me]," he told the Financial Times.
Mr Gyurcsany has previously admitted that his decision to continue high-deficit spending policies in his first years was economically flawed. But he argues the trend began with the first Fidesz administration, in 1998-2002, when the government started subsidising mortgage loans.

Mr Gyurcsany said there was Ft1,900bn (€7bn) in extra spending, above budget targets, in 2000-10. Mr Orban's Fidesz government was responsible for about Ft600bn, and socialist governments the rest, he said.
Fidesz can expect to get legislative changes through parliament, which it dominates, but these could be challenged by the constitutional court. Mr Orban has shown, however, that he is willing to override the court, which now includes several pro-Fidesz judges.

Szabolcs Kerek-Barczy, executive director of the Freedom and Reform Institute, a right-leaning think-tank, said the government moves were "unprecedented, unacceptable and undemocratic", and could further erode confidence after government measures last year upset many foreign investors.

"If anybody's past public policy and/or political activities can be questioned and then retroactively punished it means that any past economic or political decision can also be annulled. If we [allow] retroactive lawmaking in this country, nobody can feel safe," Mr Kerek-Barczy said.

Mr Gyurcsany is particularly loathed by Hungary's rightwing after a leaked tape of an internal party address in which he confessed the socialists had lied "morning and evening" for one and a half years about their record, in order to secure re-election in April 2006.

Publication of the recording, in which he urged socialist MPs to face up to painful reforms of the economy and public services, in September 2006 sparked demonstrations in Budapest that turned violent.

From the Financial Times.

Hungary looks more and more like a shithole.

[Zanza]

But if successful, it could set an international precedent by holding officials criminally responsible for the results of their policies.

I somehow doubt that Hungary introducing retroactive laws will be a precedent for countries that actually have rule of law.

[The Brain]

"crime against Hungary"

Oh the Hungary!

[Tamas]

I think there are two possibilities

-our rulers are batshit crazy
-they have a grand plan to keep winning elections

To elaborate on the second point:

-surprisingly, those 3 PMs come from the socialists, the only major party beside governing FIDESZ
-the new election law they will introduce will make it just about impossible for small parties (like the pinkogreen lefties and the nazis who are in parlaiment right now) to enter the race, let alone performing well at it
-that will only leave the socialists as real contenders, as they are the only ones who have the sufficient organized  supporter base and infrastructures
-keeping their criminiality up front, they hope to keep the socialists as a worse alternative than FIDESZ
-profit

I don't think they actually want to send them to prison. They surely don't need martyrs. If they do, it will signal for me that they are not seeking to be re-elected in an even remotely fair manner.

[Martinus]

I don't think anyone doubted this is a boldfaced populist move to tar the opposition, Tamas.

[Syt]

Wouldn't this be the kind of law that can bite you horribly in the ass if you ever lose an election and have to go into opposition?

[Martinus]

Wouldn't this be the kind of law that can bite you horribly in the ass if you ever lose an election and have to go into opposition?

Yes and no. For one, Orban probably thinks he is going to stay in power for a long time in foreseeable future. Two, European and North American leftists usually loathe to use such measures and they do not have guts to do so (they are more ethical in this respect than right wingers, for better or worse). Three, the populist right in this part of Europe has that kind of revanchist zeal that does not take into account long term consequences (PiS was/is like that too).

[Martinus]

I think the political situation in Hungary has been very similar to that of Poland - i.e. the absolute degeneration of ruling social democrats have pushed populist right to power - with one important distinction - in Poland, two parties (PiS and PO) arose from the right wing anger at the social democrats, not one. And these two parties managed to find themselves at each other throats, which eventually caused PO to move to much more moderate, "party of calm and prosperity" positions, whereas it started off pretty populist in its anti-corruption zeal too. It also meant that no party achieved that kind of total dominance that Orban's party has.

Tamas - is there any chance of some sort of "PO" emerging in Hungary?

[Razgovory]

Oh Fahdiz, how far you have fallen.