BRATISLAVA, July 7, (WEBNOVINY) — The new Hungarian constitution, which occasionally raises also justified concerns, has thus far achieved that Europe has rejected the concept of collective rights, establishing collective self-governments, confirmed the weight of individual rights, rejected extra-territorial effects of legislation and confirmed the principle of territorial integrity. Presenting the statement of Prime Minister Iveta Radicova, First Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Jan Figel made these comments during Thursday’s regular Question Hour in Parliament. Figel thus reacted to the question by SDKU-DS deputy Tomas Galbavy who wanted to know the prime minister’s position on the statement by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that “…no prime minister and no government can tell Hungary what kind of constitution it is allowed to have.“
Figel noted that following the approval of the new Hungarian constitution, the Slovak government declared that the Slovak Republic respects the sovereign right of every country to determine its constitution, but at the same time expects that Hungary will respect the constitutions of other countries, as well as international law and adopted international commitments in implementation of the constitution and associated legislation. He went on to say that this position has not changed and has been communicated both to the Hungarian government as well as partners abroad.
The minister recalled that the Venice Commission confirmed, in its opinion from June 20 on the newly adopted Hungarian constitution, the primary responsibility of countries for members of ethnic minorities living on their territory, the effectiveness of individual character of minority rights, and the exclusive competency of individual countries to determine their form of government, including self-governments. The declaration of the European Parliament, dated July 5, asserts that respect of territorial integrity is one of the basic principles on which the EU stands. Hungary was asked to guarantee that it will respect territorial integrity of other countries. According to Figel, another debate can be expected in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in the course of the upcoming weeks or months. “We are also waiting for the Hungarian implementation legislation that is to introduce the Hungarian constitution in real life, and in this process we will use all offered options to renew a normal, intensive and open dialogue with the neighboring Hungarian party,” he concluded.
SITA