New law in Hungary: a ‘Lex Magyar’?
Under a new law, Hungarian MEPs will have to submit declarations of their assets in Hungary - as is already the case for members of the national parliament. However, while the latter are allowed to correct false or incomplete information retroactively, MEPs face the prospect of losing their seats in such cases. Opposition leader Péter Magyar claims that the law is aimed at him directly.
Russian-Turkish methods against the opposition
Magyar's immunity could be at stake here, hvg believes:
“The draft law argues that it is a lesson learned from the 'corruption scandals linked to certain MEPs and officials in recent years'. ... This can easily be interpreted as a reference to Péter Magyar, whom government propaganda regularly refers to as a Brussels stooge. The sanction, which could go as far as revoking his mandate, could be particularly effective in removing Magyar, who only enjoys immunity as an MEP and against whom the Hungarian Office of the Prosecutor General has already launched two Turkish- or even Russian- style immunity proceedings.”
Fuelling conflict with Brussels again
Viktor Orbán's ruling party is deliberately accepting sanctions from Brussels, the lawyer Tamás Lattmann suspects on atv.hu:
“According to EU law, the National Election Commission does not exercise any rights with regard to European parliamentary mandates: these are granted by the European Union. ... The amendment to the law is only likely to exacerbate the conflicts between the EU institutions and Hungary, because the EU has no choice but to enforce EU law, meaning it could initiate further proceedings against Hungary. Fidesz already seems to be prepared to frame this issue politically.”