Socialists reject ‘Stop Soros’ bill, constitutional amendment

The Socialist Party’s parliamentary group refuses to back either the government’s constitutional amendment bill or the “Stop Soros” package of bills, the party’s deputy group leader said on Monday.

The Socialist Party will only participate in the opening round of the debate on the constitutional amendment proposal, Tamás Harangozó told a news conference.

But the party will take part in the debate on the “Stop Soros” bill to see whether the interior ministry has considered its proposals in connection with the bill, he said.

Harangozó called the constitutional amendment proposal “completely unacceptable”, saying that “no decent lawmaker with a European value system can support it”.

He criticised the proposals for covering three “unrelated” areas. Harangozó rejected the amendment proposals that would establish an administrative high court and “restrict” the right to assembly.

The deputy group leader noted that his party had already rejected the proposal to create an administrative court structure in the previous government cycle. He said this proved that ruling Fidesz was not serious about wanting to win the opposition’s support for the bill.

Harangozó said the amendment proposal was submitted with the intent to “stigmatise” the opposition.

On the topic of the “Stop Soros” bill, Harangozó said the clause criminalising the organisation of illegal immigration should have been worded more carefully, noting that experts had indicated that it was unclear.

The Socialist Party, he said, would consider supporting that clause if it were about punishing people smugglers rather than Hungarian citizens providing humanitarian and legal assistance to those needing it.

Fidesz responded by saying that the Socialists were “still pro-migration and don’t want to protect the country”.

“Hungary’s opposition parties are proving one by one that they are pro-migration and are ready to bring migrants to Hungary in line with [US financier George] Soros’s plan,” Fidesz said in a statement. “If they won’t support the action plan aimed at protecting Hungary, they’ll only be confirming that they are Soros’s mercenaries and don’t want to protect the country,” the party added.

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Source: MTI