Strasbourg, 12/01/2012 - "Major legislative changes have been adopted in Hungary after minimal public consultation and without sufficient consideration of crucial human rights principles. Recent decisions affecting the independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression and freedom of religion raise serious concerns", said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, publishing today a letter addressed to the Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, János Martonyi, about the new Law on the Right to Freedom of Conscience and Religion, which deprives a great number of religious denominations of their church status. (more...)

Secretary General Jagland also reacted to the recent legislative and constitutional changes in Hungary, and writes in his letter to Minister Martonyi that Hungary's membership at the Council of Europe implies not only respecting the human rights, rule of law and democracy in the legislative process and its results, but also respecting the underlying principles of democracy, "the checks and balances" ensured through proper functioning of independent institutions. He suggested that the different pieces of legislation recently adopted in order to implement the new Constitution, are examined in detail by competent Council of Europe experts, that is, the Venice Commission.

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Hungary and the Council of Europe

Venice Commission

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