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Hungary’s New Constitution: Why We Worry

We, the undersigned legal experts and scholars from law, philosophy and the social sciences, endorse the following petition:

On April 18th the Hungarian Parliament will decide on the adoption of a new constitution for the Republic of Hungary. While we welcome the effort to create a new constitution for the country to overcome the technical deficiencies of the revised constitution of 1989, we consider the draft of the FIDESZ/KDNP coalition and the way it is adopted deeply disturbing.

The draft constitution

  • effectively abolishes large parts of constitutional review, possibly disabling the Constitutional Court as a politically independent body, gives leeway for the enactment of unconstitutional law and thereby undermines the rule of law,
  • declares the inconsistent and ideologically lopsided preamble and the legally undefinable „historical constitution” as binding for its interpretation, can be understood to delegitimize the entire constitutional law and jurisdiction of the last 20 years, and thus obviates any well grounded assertion of what the constitution actually says and thereby further undermines the rule of law,
  • severely restricts the scope of action of future governments unless they command a 2/3 majority,
  • has been written at the whim of the current government, is being enacted without both framework and time for proper deliberation and without sufficient participation by the opposition and the public and will therefore suffer from severe legitimacy deficiencies.

Hungary is not only a member state of the European Union, but an integral part of the European sphere of legal and constitutional culture. Hungarians have long struggled for their „Return to Europe“. Based on the existing constitution, Hungary’s world-renowned Constitutional Court has made a rich contribution to European constitutionalism. We are deeply worried that, by passing this document, Hungary risks its reputation as a model of a new constitutional democracy rising from an authoritarian regime. Following the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, we appeal to the leaders of the coalition parties FIDESZ and KDNP, particularly to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to refrain from enforcing a hastened decision and imposing a insufficiently legitimate constitution on their country. Instead, we urge to use the opportunity to draft and pass a document that can unite Hungarians and does not divide them. We call for a constitution that, by providing clear legal concepts instead of historical symbolism in legal form, can serve as the foundation of a constitutional state based on legal certainty and the rule of law. Finally, Hungary deserves a constitution that preserves, and not limits, the functions of its guardian, the Constitutional Court, one of the most trusted institutions in the country.

Signed (5/01, 9:00 pm MEZ):

  1. Antal ÁDÁM, University of Pécs, Hungary
  2. Wolf ALBIN, Attorney-at-Law, Berlin, Germany
  3. Andrew ARATO, New School for Social Research, New York, USA
  4. Judit BAYER, King Sigismund College, Budapest, Hungary
  5. Jochen VON BERNSTORFF, Max-Planck-Institute Heidelberg & University Göttingen, Germany
  6. Adam BODNAR, Warsaw University, Poland
  7. Christian BOULANGER, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
  8. David R. BOYD, Simon Fraser University, Canada
  9. Eva BREMS, Ghent University, Belgium
  10. Nora CHRONOWSKI, University of Pecs, Hungary
  11. Monica CLAES, Maastricht University, Netherlands
  12. Mihály CSÁKÓ, John Wesley Theological College and ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
  13. Justus von DANIELS, Cardozo School of Law, New York, USA
  14. Balázs DÉNES, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, Budapest, Hungary
  15. Tímea DRINÓCZI, University of Pécs, Hungary
  16. Catherine DUPRÉ, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
  17. David DYZENHAUS, University of Toronto, Canada
  18. Dirk FABRICIUS, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany
  19. Agata FIJALKOWSKI, Lancaster University, United Kingdom
  20. Zoltan FLECK, ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
  21. Andreas FUNKE, University of Cologne, Germany
  22. Claudio FRANZIUS, University of Hamburg, Germany
  23. Siri GLOPPEN, University of Berge & Chr. Michelsen Institute, Norway
  24. Marcin GÓRSKI, University of Łódź, Poland.
  25. Marie-Pierre GRANGER, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
  26. Christoph GUSY, Bielefeld University, Germany
  27. Balázs GYENIS, University of Pittsburgh, USA
  28. Tamás GYÖRFI, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom
  29. Gábor HALMAI, ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary,
  30. Dominik HANF, College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium
  31. Helen E. HARTNELL, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, USA
  32. Wolf HEYDEBRAND, New York University, USA
  33. Kristina IRION, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
  34. Ireneusz C. KAMINSKI, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
  35. Ulrich KARPENSTEIN, Attorney-at-Law, Berlin, Germany
  36. Alexandra KEMMERER, Wissenschaftskolleg, Berlin, Germany
  37. János KIS, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
  38. Sascha KNEIP, Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), Berlin, Germany
  39. Jan KOMAREK, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
  40. Atina KRAJEWSKA, School of Law, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
  41. Helga KRISCH, Administrative Court, Berlin, Germany
  42. Mattias KUMM, Humbold University, Berlin, Germany and New York University, USA
  43. Johanna LÁSZLÓ, ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
  44. Tamás LATTMANN, National Defense University and ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
  45. Oliver W. LEMBCKE, University of Jena, Germany
  46. Patrick MACKLEM, University of Toronto, Canada
  47. Miguel Poiares MADURO, Professor, European University Institute
  48. Matthias MAHLMANN, University of Zurich, Switzerland
  49. Ernst Gottfried MAHRENHOLZ, Deputy President of the Constitutional Court (ret.), Karlsruhe, Germany
  50. Balázs MAJTÉNYI, ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
  51. László MAJTÉNYI, University of Miskolc, Hungary
  52. Susanna MANCINI, University of Bologna, Italy
  53. Stefan MARKUS, former Ambassador to Hungary, Slovakia
  54. Franz MAYER, University of Bielefeld, Germany
  55. Jeremy MCBRIDE, Monckton Chambers, Gray’s Inn, London, United Kingdom
  56. Zoltan MIKLÓSI, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
  57. Christoph MOELLERS, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
  58. Jan-Werner MUELLER, Princeton University, USA
  59. Odonkhu MUNKHSAIKAN, Nagoya University, Japan
  60. Andreas ORATOR, WU University of Business and Economics, Vienna, Austria
  61. Viktor OSIATYNSKI, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
  62. András L. PAP, ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
  63. Vlad PERJU, Boston College Law School, USA
  64. Otto PFERSMANN, University Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne, Paris, France
  65. Ulrich K. PREUSS, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany
  66. Jiri PRIBAN, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
  67. István RÉV, Open Society Archives, Budapest, Hungary
  68. Michel ROSENFELD, President of the US Association of Constitutional Law, Cardozo School of Law, New York, USA
  69. Judit SANDOR, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
  70. Aurel SARI, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
  71. Martin SCHEININ, President of the International Association of Constitutional Law (IACL), European Universit Institute
  72. Stefan SCHEPERS, director general of the European Institute of Public Administration (ret.)
  73. Kim Lane SCHEPPELE, Princeton University, USA
  74. Tibor SCHOBER, Attorney-at-Law, Berlin, Germany
  75. Kristina SCHOENFELDT, University of Freiburg, Germany
  76. Bernadette SOMODY, ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
  77. Grażyna SKAPSKA, Institute of Sociology, Jagiellonian University, Poland
  78. Maximilian STEINBEIS, Attorney-at-Law, Germany
  79. Máté Dániel SZABÓ, University of Miskolc, Hungary
  80. Sona SZOMOLANYI, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
  81. Christopher THORNHILL, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
  82. Gábor Attila TÓTH, Debrecen University, Hungary
  83. Johan VAN DER WALT, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
  84. Balázs VÁRADI, ELTE University,Budapest,Hungary
  85. Marton VARJU, University of Hull, UK & Central European University, Hungary
  86. Attila VINCZE, University of Hull, United Kingdom
  87. Beatrix VISSY, ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
  88. Astrid WALLRABENSTEIN, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
  89. Meike WEISSPFLUG, RWTH Aachen, Germany
  90. Mattias WENDEL, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
  91. Tim WIHL, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
  92. Miroslaw WYRZYKOWSKI, Justice of the Constitutional Court (ret.) & Warsaw University, Poland
  93. Katarina ZAVACKA, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia

 

If you share our concern, please sign the petition by adding a comment with your name and institutional affiliation. Thank you.

 

197 Comments

Kim Lane Scheppele wrote:

Please add my name to the petition:

Kim Lane Scheppele
Director of the Program in Law and Public Affairs
Princeton University
USA

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 14:24 | Permalink
Andrew Arato wrote:

please add my name

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 14:39 | Permalink
Gábor Attila Tóth wrote:

please add my name:

Gábor Attila Tóth
Constitutional lawyer
Hungary

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 15:59 | Permalink
Christoph Möllers wrote:

please, add my name

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 18:44 | Permalink
Christian Boulanger wrote:

Please also add my name.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 18:44 | Permalink
Zoltán Fleck wrote:

ELTE, Budapest

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 21:00 | Permalink
András L. Pap wrote:

Please, add my name.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 21:01 | Permalink
Istvan Rev wrote:

Please, add my name

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 21:41 | Permalink
MIHÁLY CSÁKÓ wrote:

Please add my name

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 21:46 | Permalink
Alexandra Kemmerer wrote:

Please, add my name:

Alexandra Kemmerer
Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Germany

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 22:02 | Permalink
David Dyzenhaus wrote:

Please add my name.

David Dyzenhaus
Professor of Law and Philosophy
Toronto

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 22:06 | Permalink
Judit Bayer wrote:

Please add my name.
Judit Bayer
King Sigismund College (Zsigmond Király Főiskola), Budapest

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 22:09 | Permalink
Friedrich Brandi wrote:

Please add my name.

Friedrich BRANDI, Berlin

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 07:37 | Permalink
Marie-Pierre Granger wrote:

Please add my name to the list.
Central European University, Department of Public Policy, Budapest.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 07:47 | Permalink
Gábor Halmai wrote:

Please add my name.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 07:59 | Permalink
Andreas Funke wrote:

Please, add my name.
Andreas Funke
Institute for Public International Law and Comparative Law, University of Cologne

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 08:22 | Permalink
Zsófia Balogh wrote:

Please add me too.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 08:34 | Permalink
Andreas Orator wrote:

Please add my name to the list.
Andreas Orator
Institute for European and International Law, WU University of Business and Economics, Vienna, Austria

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 09:39 | Permalink
Ulrich wrote:

please add my name

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 09:46 | Permalink
János Kis wrote:

please add my name

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 10:05 | Permalink
Wolf wrote:

please add my name

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 12:38 | Permalink
Adam Bodnar wrote:

Please add my name:

Adam Bodnar
Human Rights Chair
Faculty of Law and Administration
Warsaw University

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 12:47 | Permalink
Tibor Schober wrote:

me too:

RA Dr. iur. Tibor Schober, Berlin, Germany

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 13:36 | Permalink
Christoph Gusy, Prof wrote:

I support the petition.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 14:54 | Permalink
Christoph Gusy, Prof wrote:

I support the petition

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 14:55 | Permalink
Patrick Macklem wrote:

Please add my name:

Patrick Macklem
William C. Graham Professor of Law
University of Toronto

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 16:17 | Permalink
Máté Dániel SZABÓ wrote:

Please add my name:

Máté Dániel SZABÓ
University of Miskolc, Hungary

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 16:40 | Permalink
Bernadette Somody wrote:

please add my name

Bernadette Somody
ELTE University
Budapest, Hungary

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 16:40 | Permalink
Oliver W. Lembcke wrote:

Please add my name to the petition:

Oliver W. Lembcke
Friedrich Schiller University
Jena, Germany

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 17:41 | Permalink
IRENEUSZ c. KAMIŃSKI wrote:

I support the statement

Ireneusz C. Kamiński
Institute of Legal Studies
Polish Academy of Sciences
Warsaw

and Jagiellonian University
Cracow
Poland

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 17:46 | Permalink
Zoltan Miklosi wrote:

please add my name.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 17:58 | Permalink
Miguel P. Maduro wrote:

Please add my name

Miguel Poiares Maduro
Professor, European University Institute

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 18:06 | Permalink
Christoffer Gruppe wrote:

Please add my name to the petition.

Christoffer Gruppe, Diplom-Jurist (Univeristy of Bonn)

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 18:35 | Permalink
Balázs Majtényi wrote:

please add my name

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 19:59 | Permalink
Mattias Kumm wrote:

Please add my name:

Mattias Kumm

Research Professor for “Globalization and the Rule of Law”, Humboldt University and Social Science Research Center, Berlin
Professor of Law, NYU School of Law, New York

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 20:20 | Permalink
Zsuzsanna Molnar S. wrote:

Please add my name

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 23:16 | Permalink
Dominik Hanf wrote:

Please add my name.
Dominik Hanf, Professor, College of Europe, Bruges

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 23:23 | Permalink
ISTVÁN CSONKA wrote:

Please add my name:

Csonka István
Törökszentmiklós, Magyarország SMT Programozó

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 23:33 | Permalink
Nóra Chronowski wrote:

Please add my name:

Nóra Chronowski
University of Pécs, Hungary

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 00:45 | Permalink
Tamás Lattmann wrote:

Pls add my name:

Tamás Lattmann
National Defense University and ELTE University, Budapest

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 00:50 | Permalink
Klara Palotai wrote:

Please add my name:
Klara Palotai,
New York

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 00:52 | Permalink
Dirk Addicks wrote:

Please add my name:
Dirk Addicks
Stuttgart, Germany

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 07:23 | Permalink
Helen E. Hartnell wrote:

Please add my name:

Helen Hartnell
Professor, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 10:36 | Permalink
Sascha Kneip wrote:

Please add my name:

Sascha Kneip
Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), Berlin, Germany

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 10:56 | Permalink
Jeremy McBride wrote:

Please add my name

Jeremy McBride, Monckton Chambers, Gray’s Inn, London

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 12:39 | Permalink
Catherine Dupre wrote:

please add my name to the list.

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 12:44 | Permalink
Marcin Górski wrote:

Please add my name too:

MARCIN GÓRSKI, Attorney-at-Law, Associate Professor, Department of European Constitutional Law, University of Łódź, Poland.

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 13:24 | Permalink
Balázs Dénes wrote:

Please add my name as:

Balázs Dénes
Hungarian Civil Liberties Union
Budapest, Hungary

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 15:52 | Permalink
Grazyna Skapska wrote:

I am stronly supporting this petition

Grazyna Skapska
Institute of Sociology
Jagiellonian University
Grodzka Str. 52
31-044 Kraków POLNAN

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 15:56 | Permalink
Wolf Heydebrand wrote:

I am not a constutional scholar, but the changes to the existing constitution that you describe sound to me like an effort to make certain states of exception permanent. If that is the case, the Hungarian government should be held to a stricter standard of democratic legitimacy.

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 17:07 | Permalink
Atina Krajewska wrote:

The proposed changes are very concerning. strongly support this petition.

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 17:29 | Permalink
Atina Krajewska wrote:

The proposed changes are very concerning. strongly support this petition.

School of Law
University of Exeter
Exeter, UK

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 17:31 | Permalink
Claudio Franzius wrote:

please, add my name too

Claudio Franzius, Universität Hamburg

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 20:29 | Permalink
Otto Pfersmann wrote:

Highly ideological and emotional, mostly anti-liberal, extremely vague and undetermined, strongly philo-executive, this draft is not a new beginning, but a mythical return to an uncertain past.
Please add my name to the petition.

Otto Pfersmann, Professor at the University Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne

Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 22:34 | Permalink
Georges DUPRE wrote:

Please, add my name

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 01:14 | Permalink
Marie-claude Mérot wrote:

please, add my name to the petition

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 06:37 | Permalink
Jochen v. Bernstorff wrote:

please, add my name

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 08:41 | Permalink
Stephan Biagosch wrote:

Please add my name:

Stephan Biagosch
Attorney-at-Law
Munich, Germany

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 09:25 | Permalink
Attila Vincze wrote:

Attila Vincze
lecturer in law
University of Hull

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 09:52 | Permalink
Antal ÁDÁM wrote:

Please add my name

Antal Ádám
professor emeritus
University of Pécs, Hungary

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 10:22 | Permalink
Marton Varju wrote:

Marton Varju
University of Hull &
CEU-CELAB

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 16:58 | Permalink
Kristina Schoenfeldt wrote:

University of Freiburg
Institut für Staatswissenschaft und Rechtsphilosophie
Abteilung 3 (Völkerrecht)

Friday, April 1, 2011 at 20:33 | Permalink
Odin's lost eye wrote:

I have read the above. I am not and never have been a lawyer in any shape or form.
In thr blog ‘Hungarian Spectrum’ its author Prof Balogh reports “A good example is a paragraph in the constitution that forbids the government from changing the present tax system.”
‘Hells bells and buckets of blood’!! This clause denies the people the right to change their taxes! If if this is true then it denies the people their fundamental democratic rights.

Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 10:52 | Permalink
Helga Krisch wrote:

Please add my name:

Helga Krisch

Berlin Administrative Court

Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 14:51 | Permalink
Katarína Zavacká wrote:

Please add my name:

Katarina Zavacka
Institute of State and Law,
Slovak Academy of Sciences

Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 15:19 | Permalink
Chris Thornhill wrote:

please add my name in support of this

Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 15:22 | Permalink
Dupre Cecile wrote:

I fully support this petition and share the concerns.

Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 19:43 | Permalink
roth Detlev wrote:

Please add my name.

Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 19:44 | Permalink
Sona Szomolanyi wrote:

Please add my name in support of this

Sona Szomolanyi
Professor of Political Science
Comenius University Bratislva

Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 18:39 | Permalink
Stefan Markus wrote:

Slovak Ambassador to Hungary in 1998-2002

Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 19:16 | Permalink
Franz Mayer wrote:

Please add my name in support of this

Franz Mayer
Universität Bielefeld

Monday, April 4, 2011 at 05:48 | Permalink
Aurel Sari wrote:

School of Law, University of Exeter

Monday, April 4, 2011 at 08:58 | Permalink
Astrid Wallrabenstei wrote:

please add my name:

Astrid Wallrabenstein
Professor of Public Law
Goethe-University Frankfurt

Monday, April 4, 2011 at 11:50 | Permalink
Munkhsaikhan Odonkhu wrote:

After reading the proposed changes, I really worry about the future of one of the most successful constitutional courts in post-communist countries, and Hungarian democracy in general. I, therefore, strongly support this petition. Please add my name in it.

Munkhsaikhan Odonkhuu
PhD Candidate
Graduate School of Law
Nagoya University, Japan

Monday, April 4, 2011 at 11:55 | Permalink
Dirk Fabricius wrote:

Please add my name.
Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Psychology of Law
Goethe-University
Frankfurt

Monday, April 4, 2011 at 12:36 | Permalink
Jan Komárek wrote:

I cannot judge the content of the proposed amendment (is it available in English or French somewhere?), but the process of its adoption described in the Venice Commission’s Report is worrying. Please add my name to the petition.
Jan Komárek
lecturer in EU law
LSE

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 08:49 | Permalink
Mate Daniel Szabo wrote:

Dear Jan,

an English translation is available here: http://ekint.org/ekint_files/File/tanulmanyok/alkotmanyozas/alternative_translation_of_the_draft_constituion.pdf

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 16:04 | Permalink
Siri Gloppen wrote:

I support the petition.
This is deeply worrying.

Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Berge

Research director Chr.Michelsen Institute

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 22:38 | Permalink
Martin Scheinin wrote:

I am signing the petition in my academic capacity and will report this on 28 April at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Constitutional Law where I serve as President.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 10:12 | Permalink
David R. Boyd wrote:

Please add my name.
Dr. David R. Boyd
Adjunct Professor
Simon Fraser University
Canada

Friday, April 8, 2011 at 04:38 | Permalink
Ronald Pabst wrote:

We have published an article about the process.

German version
http://www.mehr-demokratie.de/verfassung-ungarn.html

English translation will follow.

Friday, April 8, 2011 at 12:18 | Permalink
Judit Sandor wrote:

Please add my name.

Friday, April 8, 2011 at 18:56 | Permalink
Judit Sandor wrote:

Central European University

Please add my name

Friday, April 8, 2011 at 18:59 | Permalink
Kristina Irion wrote:

Indeed, please add me too.
Central European University

Friday, April 8, 2011 at 19:56 | Permalink
Jan-Werner Mueller wrote:

Please add my name.

Jan-Werner Mueller
Associate Professor of Politics,
Princeton University, USA

Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 05:18 | Permalink
Stephen E. Gottlieb wrote:

Please add my name

Monday, April 11, 2011 at 02:19 | Permalink
Agata Fijalkowski wrote:

Please add my name to the petition.

Monday, April 11, 2011 at 12:27 | Permalink
Agata Fijalkowski wrote:

Please add my name.

Monday, April 11, 2011 at 12:28 | Permalink
Wiktor Osiatynski wrote:

I support this statement.

Wiktor Osiatynski
CEU Legal Studies Department,
Budapest, Hungary

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 11:21 | Permalink
Gregor Mayer wrote:

I share your concerns. Please add my name.
Gregor Mayer
Journalist
Belgrade

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 00:33 | Permalink
Tímea Drinóczi wrote:

Please add my name:

Tímea Drinóczi
University of Pécs, Hungary

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 13:36 | Permalink
Balázs Váradi wrote:

Please add my name:

Balázs Váradi
ELTE University,Budapest,Hungary

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 19:22 | Permalink
László Majtényi wrote:

Please add my name
László Majtényi DSc.
University of Miskolc, Hungary

Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 10:46 | Permalink
Péter Langmár wrote:

add my name
The American University of Paris

Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 12:02 | Permalink
Ágnes Fodor wrote:

nyugdíjas ujságíró, Hungary
Jogainkból kegyelemkenyér lesz, ez tu”rhetetlen

Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 21:20 | Permalink
Balázs Gyenis wrote:

Please add my name.

University of Pittsburgh, USA

Friday, April 15, 2011 at 03:49 | Permalink
Johanna László wrote:

Please add my name.

ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary

Friday, April 15, 2011 at 08:56 | Permalink
Beatrix Vissy wrote:

Please add my name:

Beatrix Vissy
ELTE University
Budapest, Hungary

Friday, April 15, 2011 at 09:34 | Permalink
csaba vágó wrote:

Please, add my name.

Csaba Vágó

Budaörs

Friday, April 15, 2011 at 11:08 | Permalink
Anna Demszky wrote:

Budaörs

Friday, April 15, 2011 at 14:54 | Permalink
Eszter Burján wrote:

Please,add my name to the petition.

Friday, April 15, 2011 at 15:12 | Permalink
Johanna Jurcsik wrote:

I support the petition,
please, add my name

Konkoly Observatory, Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 12:00 | Permalink
Elisabeth Grabow wrote:

Political Sciences
Corvinus University Budapest

Please add my name

Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 21:04 | Permalink
Tamas Flachner wrote:

Please add my name.

Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 22:09 | Permalink
Monica Claes wrote:

Please add my name

Monica Claes
Professor of European and Comparative Constitutional Law
Maastricht University
The Netherlands

Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 15:26 | Permalink
Geza Kovacs wrote:

I am not a constitutional scholar but it is clear from the very beginning and from the accompanying actions (e.g., populistic government questionary) that this constitution seriously contributes to the ongoing undermining of the democratic system in Hungary.

Monday, April 18, 2011 at 09:16 | Permalink
Matyas Eorsi wrote:

I share your concerns.

Monday, April 18, 2011 at 12:38 | Permalink
Miklós Vörös wrote:

Please add my name to the signatories.

Monday, April 18, 2011 at 14:22 | Permalink
Miklós Vörös wrote:

Affiliation: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest

Monday, April 18, 2011 at 14:23 | Permalink
Max Steinbeis wrote:

The petition has been published in Hungary by the weekly newspaper Élet és Irodalom:
http://www.es.hu/2011-04-13_magyarorszag-uj-alkotmanya-amiert-aggodunk

Monday, April 18, 2011 at 20:52 | Permalink
Tamás Győrfi wrote:

University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Please ad my name to the petition

Monday, April 18, 2011 at 22:11 | Permalink
Ulrike Herrmann wrote:

student at Technical University Vienna

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 08:22 | Permalink
Catherine MONTAGNESE wrote:

Please ad my name

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 12:16 | Permalink
Pszota Dóra wrote:

Please add my name.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 12:27 | Permalink
Sárközi László wrote:

ÖSSZEGZÉS

Orbán Viktor miniszterelnök és népi zenekara ellen

Huszonegy éve váltottunk rendszert,
gazdaságot, hitet és emberséget,
gondolkodtunk, nem ragadtunk fegyvert.

Békességben szavaztuk meg a véget:
még részünk volt a szocializált
magas kultúra, öntudatos élet.

Orbán Oxfordban liberalizált
politikát s bölcseletet más pénzén
tanult, tudatos volt, szépen kivárt…

Divatozott: polgári az érték,
fiatalsága népszerű volt, fürdött
benne s vágyait tűzte ki célként.

Médiánk mára szócsövévé züllött,
befolyásolt, törtetett, megosztott,
minden ellenzékit padlóra küldött.

Amihez ér, az rögvest bemocskolt,
csal keresztényt, demokratát, fajtáját,
csak a nyomor problémája foszlott.

Nézni is utálom önhitt pofáját,
parlamentbe vitte – meglátjátok,
fejébe nyomja István koronáját.

Huszonegy éve nyomorgok, várok,
a remény csak új ábrándokat adott,
most a jövő már nem több, csak átok.

Nincs már baloldal, nincs közép, csak a jobb:
olyan, mint hátunkban a tőrszúrás.
Gyilkos vagy – a demokrácia halott.

Bár inkább te lennél az, te Júdás!

Budapest, 2011. Április 18

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 12:33 | Permalink
Justus von Daniels wrote:

please add me

Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
New York
USA

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 14:51 | Permalink
Kovacs Dezso wrote:

Please, add my name.
Kovacs Dezso
University of Missouri

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 16:07 | Permalink
Agnes Harkai wrote:

Please, add my name:

Agnes Harkai
University of Szeged
Szeged
Hungary

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 16:14 | Permalink
Bence Simonfalvi wrote:

Please add my name

Bence Simonfalvi
Architect
Budapest, Hungary

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:10 | Permalink
Marta Rozsnyai wrote:

Please add my name, I share the same concerns.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:18 | Permalink
Esti Nóra wrote:

Please add my name

Nóra Esti
Waldorfpedagógus
Budapest, Hungary

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:21 | Permalink
György C. Kálmán wrote:

Please add my name:
György C. Kálmán
Institute for Literary Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:22 | Permalink
Katalin Grafl wrote:

Please add my name
Budapest, Hungary

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:34 | Permalink
Csonka Beáta wrote:

Nem fogadjuk el Alkotmányunknak orbán törvényeit!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:35 | Permalink
David Lovas wrote:

Please add my name:
David Lovas
Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:37 | Permalink
WALINE Pierre wrote:

Please add my name
Pierre Waline
Retired (french), Budapest

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:42 | Permalink
István Hegedűs wrote:

Hungarian Europe Society

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:56 | Permalink
István Hegedűs wrote:

I agree.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:57 | Permalink
Laszlo Bohus wrote:

Ez az alkotmány szöveg legalább 9 ponton nemzetközi szerződéseinkkel is ütközik! Teljes egészében elfogadhatatlan – parambelumostól – a szabadság korlátozó hatása!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 21:59 | Permalink
Laszlo Nemety wrote:

Journaliste

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:00 | Permalink
Laszlo Nemety wrote:

Journaliste a la retraite

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:02 | Permalink
Laszlo Nemety wrote:

Journaliste a la retraite, Angers, France

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:08 | Permalink
BARIS SINIKSARAN wrote:

Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore MD, USA

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:11 | Permalink
Éva Sárkány wrote:

No comment

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:15 | Permalink
Orsi Virág wrote:

http://freepress.blog.hu/2011/04/19/please_support_our_demonstrations

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:16 | Permalink
Torsa Mátyás wrote:

It’s not our constitution. We shall resist. Please support us.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:18 | Permalink
Orsi Virág wrote:

Please, support our cause! Any kind of support counts, even the smallest. If you are member of the media: you know what you need to do! If you want to donate a tiny amount of money it would be very much appreciated as well.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

We share all the details on our spendings after each protest, feel free to check our blog: http://freepress.blog.hu/ (The English blog itself is a little bit messy still, but we are working on it. You are very welcome to comment and share any constructive criticism there!)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:21 | Permalink
Orsi Virág wrote:

Please, support our cause! Any kind of support counts, even the smallest. If you are member of the media: you know what you need to do! If you want to donate a tiny amount of money it would be very much appreciated as well.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Sorry for repeating myself… just to have both links in one comment, let me add this:

http://freepress.blog.hu/2011/04/19/please_support_our_demonstrations

We share all the details on our spendings after each protest, feel free to check our blog: http://freepress.blog.hu/ (The English blog itself is a little bit messy still, but we are working on it. You are very welcome to comment and share any constructive criticism there!)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:22 | Permalink
Andrea Komaromi wrote:

Budapest, Hungary

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:23 | Permalink
SI-LA-GI wrote:

I PROTEST against The New Constitution !

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:36 | Permalink
Várnai György wrote:

Ilyen “alaptörvényű” országban nem akarok élni!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 22:52 | Permalink
Tracy Sweigart wrote:

Capital University, USA

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 23:21 | Permalink
Vlad Perju wrote:

Please add my name.

Vlad Perju
Associate Professor
Boston College Law School
USA

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 03:39 | Permalink
Szűcs Béláné wrote:

Ez az alkotmány szünteti meg hazánkban a demokráciát!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 04:57 | Permalink
Laszlo Biro wrote:

Everybody have to remember for 18th april, when they killed and died the third Hungarian Republic !

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 05:35 | Permalink
Radboud Mens wrote:

20 april, 2011, Rotterdam.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 07:57 | Permalink
Magyar Kati wrote:

Please add my name.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 08:37 | Permalink
Pákey László wrote:

Ajka stadt/town, Magyarország Ungarn/Hungary

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 09:39 | Permalink
Göbölyös N. László wrote:

Freedom for Hungary!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 09:58 | Permalink
Gábor Vanya wrote:

Please add my name!
Budapest, Hungary

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 10:28 | Permalink
Ferenc Bergendi wrote:

Nem az én nevemben alkotmányoztak !!! Intellektuális nyomor !!!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 10:34 | Permalink
Maike Weißpflug wrote:

please add my name

Maike Weißpflug, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 11:32 | Permalink
Ellen Parks wrote:

University of Texas at Austin

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 11:39 | Permalink
molnár ferenc wrote:

No koment

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 13:08 | Permalink
Sándor Salánki wrote:

Please add my name!
Sándor Salánki economist, Budapest

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 19:25 | Permalink
PAPP-HEGEDŰS JÁNOS wrote:

Please add my name!
PÉCEL,Hungary

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 21:47 | Permalink
Baldauf Aladár wrote:

Hungarian Association of Entrepreneurs (VSZ), Budapest (Vállalkozók Szövetsége)

Freedom and democracy in Hungary!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 22:01 | Permalink
Katalin Kazár wrote:

please add my name

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 22:05 | Permalink
B.Gosztonyi Veronika wrote:

Social Solidarity Free Trade Union
Hungary Budapest
Társadalmi Szolidaritás Szabad Szakszervezet (TSZSZSZ)

Danger to our country!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 22:09 | Permalink
Eszter Garai-Édler wrote:

Geographical Research Institute Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 00:05 | Permalink
Tim Wihl wrote:

Please add my name:

Tim Wihl
Humboldt University
Berlin

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 00:34 | Permalink
Zoltan Szarvas wrote:

public relations consulting

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 06:56 | Permalink
Szarvas Zoltán wrote:

közigazgatási pr szaktanácsadó, Szolnok – Hungary

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 07:40 | Permalink
Attila Ara-Kovacs wrote:

I also support the petition.

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 17:01 | Permalink
David Christian Berg wrote:

I lived in Budapest last year during the elections. This new constitution manifests the worst possible scenario we imagined back then. I’m deeply worried about the democratic future of Hungary.

David Christian Berg

Reasearcher at Clausthal UT, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 17:15 | Permalink
Pal David wrote:

Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 17:31 | Permalink
Martina Belková wrote:

Charles University, Prague, Czech republic

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 21:17 | Permalink
Michael Evers wrote:

Die EU sollte bedenken, ob sie einem Staat weiterhin die Mitgliedschaft gewährt, dessen neue Verfassung das für sie geltende Rechtsstaatsprinzip negiert.
Ich unterstütze den Aufruf.

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 22:48 | Permalink
Sesztákné Endreffy K wrote:

Nem a mi alkotmányunk!

Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 23:23 | Permalink
V. Nagy Ágnes wrote:

nyugger

Friday, April 22, 2011 at 11:34 | Permalink
Judith Schwedes wrote:

Please add me to the list

Judith Schwedes
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany

Friday, April 22, 2011 at 22:06 | Permalink
Johannes Penell wrote:

Please add my name.

Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 07:14 | Permalink
Jürgen Franz wrote:

The developments in Hungary are as disturbing as the still inadequate reaction of the European Union…

I support the petition.

Stundent of political science and philosophy
University of Freiburg, Germany

Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 14:36 | Permalink
Zsuzsanna Lippai wrote:

Please add my name -
Zsuzsanna Lippai
American University, Washington, DC, USA

Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 20:26 | Permalink
Lisa Van Kleuren wrote:

Támogatom a petíciót, a végsőkig, ha szükséges.

Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 13:44 | Permalink
Silke Bachmann wrote:

please add my name

Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 14:35 | Permalink
Ludwig Thiry wrote:

thank you for this initiative to save the values of freedom and democracy in europe, which are obviously in danger not only in hungary.

Sunday, April 24, 2011 at 23:04 | Permalink
Thomas Nieberding wrote:

please add my name to the list. Freedom of speech must stay a legal right of everyone

Monday, April 25, 2011 at 08:18 | Permalink
M.-L. Esser-Petersen wrote:

I support this petition!
Rechtsanwältin, Deutschland

Monday, April 25, 2011 at 08:40 | Permalink
Günter Herzog wrote:

thank you for doing this blog. What happens in Hungary is another evidence of a stealthy elemination of democracy in Europe and we should all be very alarmed!

Monday, April 25, 2011 at 09:04 | Permalink
Gerda Adomeit wrote:

please add my name

Monday, April 25, 2011 at 16:03 | Permalink
Kánya György wrote:

Az alkotmány megszünt.Ez ami ma aláirásra került, pártalkotmány, türhetetlen.

Monday, April 25, 2011 at 16:47 | Permalink
Eva Brems wrote:

I support the petition!

Eva Brems
Professor, Human Rights Centre, Ghent University, Belgium
and Member of the Belgian Parliament

Monday, April 25, 2011 at 18:03 | Permalink
stefan schepers wrote:

As former director general of the European Institute of Public Administration, I support your petition because this is a worrying development for the whole European Union.

Monday, April 25, 2011 at 20:07 | Permalink
Pr.dr.GJM.vanWissen wrote:

It is very sad what is happening in Hungary. I teach constitutional law for more than 20 years at the Robert Schuman Institute at Budapest and witnesses the constitutional development in Eastern Europe. This is a big step back!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 10:29 | Permalink
Jason Miller wrote:

Jason Miller, University of Texas at Austin.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 21:48 | Permalink
Nadine Thielen wrote:

Please add my name to the list,

Nadine Thielen, Düsseldorf

Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 18:28 | Permalink
Simone van Koll wrote:

Please add my name to the list,

Simone van Koll, Cologne

Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 18:40 | Permalink
Erika Adomeit wrote:

I support the petition, please add my name

Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 13:37 | Permalink
Magdalena Marsovszky wrote:

please add my name

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 11:22 | Permalink
Matthias W. Birkwald wrote:

Please add my name to this Petition.

Matthias W. Birkwald (Köln)
Member of the German Parliament
Left Party parliamentary group – DIE LINKE.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 11:23 | Permalink
Gregor Hofmann wrote:

Please add my name. I support the petition.
Gregor Hofmann
Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany

Sunday, May 15, 2011 at 10:41 | Permalink
susanna mancini wrote:

Please add my name. I support the petition.
Susanna Mancini
Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law
School of Law, University of Bologna, Italy

Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 17:39 | Permalink
susanna mancini wrote:

Please add my name. I support the petition.
Susanna Mancini
Professor of Public Comparative Law
School of Law
University of Bologna, Italy

Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 17:40 | Permalink
Claudia Mari wrote:

Please add my name. I support the petition.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 08:19 | Permalink
Mel Okkulens wrote:

Please also add my name

Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 23:02 | Permalink
JOHN EHRHARDT wrote:

GOD HELP US

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 00:51 | Permalink

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