The Albany Gazette - Hungary set to restrict constitutional rights in 'Easter cleanup'

Since his return to power in 2010, Hungary's nationalist leader has widely restricted the rights of the LGBTQ community, the media, courts and academia.

In mid-March, he referred to critics as "stink bugs", vowing that an "Easter cleanup" was coming.

The constitutional amendment -- which proclaims that people can only be male or female -- to be voted on Monday echoes moves on gender by Orban's "dear friend", US President Donald Trump.

The amendment also allows the "temporary" stripping of citizenship from some dual or multiple nationals, which could target billionaire George Soros, a Hungarian-American and a regular subject of populist conspiracy theories.

Lawmakers are scheduled to vote shortly after 5:00 pm (1500 GMT), with Orban's Fidesz and its smaller coalition partner holding a comfortable two-thirds majority.

Small liberal party Momentum has called for the parliamentary building to be blockaded, and scheduled a protest for after the vote.

Thousands of people have already protested recent legislative changes to facilitate the banning of an annual Pride Parade this June.

- Raft of changes -

Besides the provision proclaiming that people can only be male or female, another declares that children's rights for their "proper physical, mental and moral development take precedence over all other fundamental rights," except the right to life.

That provision is seen as a way to strengthen the legal foundations for the prohibition of the Pride march.

Another prominent provision empowers the government to temporarily strip Hungarian citizenship from dual or multiple nationals -- even if they acquired their naionalities by birth.

The governing party suggested the move is aimed at "speculators" financing "bogus NGOs, bought politicians and the so-called independent media" from abroad.

A related piece of legislation -- to be voted on at a later date -- specifies that Hungarian citizenship can be suspended for a maximum of 10 years and those affected can be expelled from the country.

Nationals from other EU member states would be exempt, together with a few other countries in Europe, according to the proposal.

Last week, more than 30 prominent Hungarian legal experts castigated the measure as "an unprecedented construction in international law" that could be contrary to binding human rights conventions.

- 'Soft Putinism' -

Critics say the proposed legal changes further erode democratic rights in the central European country, moving the EU member state even closer to the kind of authoritarianism seen under Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

"You could consider this soft Putinism," Szabolcs Pek, chief analyst at the think tank Iranytu Intezet, told AFP.

"People are not falling out of the window, but the government is increasingly limiting the space for opposition politicians, journalists and civil society," he said.

Politically, the measures are seen as an effort to shore up dwindling support for the ruling coalition, divide the opposition along ideological lines, and court the far right ahead of next spring's parliamentary election.

Orban's legislative "boisterousness" is a bid to take back control of the public agenda, according to Pek.

"In this respect, he has been successful, because public discourse is no longer about the failing public services or the weak economy," Pek said.

Since last year, Orban has faced an unprecedented challenge from former government insider-turned-opposition leader Peter Magyar, with his TISZA party eroding Fidesz's longtime solid lead, according to several opinion polls.

Pek stressed the Pride ban is a "trap" for Magyar: standing up for LGBTQ rights could lose him conservative supporters, but his current silence might drive left-wing and liberal voters to other opposition parties.

(E.Taylor--TAG)