Loud opposition is legal – The Budapest Times

Written by Christina Vontin

The European Court of Human Rights has now ruled that penalties imposed on opposition MPs by Parliament President László Kövér are illegal.

The Hungarian state has lost a significant case before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. According to the news portal hvg.hu, the case centred on Momentum MP Szabolcs Szabó, who was fined 1.1 million forints by Kövér in 2018. The reason for the fine was Szabó’s protest against the so-called ‘slavery law’, with which the Orbán government tightened the GTC.

Whistles in parliament

The judges in Strasbourg have now ruled that the MP’s right to freedom of expression and a fair trial had been violated. The history of the case dates back to December 2018, when opposition MPs protested against the controversial law in parliament with whistles and megaphones and by gathering in front of the Presidium. Kövér then imposed fines on several opposition politicians who took part in the protest. The fines ranged between 1 and 1.5 million forints per person and were deducted directly from the MPs’ monthly salaries.

Legitimate political protest

Following the Strasbourg court’s decision, the fine of 2,820 euros must now be repaid to Szabó with compound interest and at the current exchange rate. The court, which also includes the former President of the Hungarian Constitutional Court, Péter Paczolay, ruled unanimously that the MP’s fundamental rights had been violated. The judges based their decision on the fact that Szabó wanted to express a legitimate political protest by rejecting the draft law. While Kövér accused the MP of using physical force to prevent the President from entering the podium, Szabó denied this claim. The court also criticised the fact that a meeting of the immunity committee was cancelled in which Szabó could have presented his opposition to the verdict. Szabó commented that two decisive factors were needed for success in Strasbourg: firstly, you have to be in the right, and secondly, you have to choose a good lawyer.