Hungary's controversial amendment proposal sparks debate

• Constitutional Amendment: The proposal aims to reinforce the traditional marriage model as a union between a man and a woman and defines the family as the foundation of national survival.
• Cash Protection: The new regulations introduce the right to receive payments in cash, which is to be constitutionally protected.
• State of Emergency: The government is allowed to declare and extend a state of emergency without the consent of parliament, which raises concerns.

On Tuesday evening, representatives of Hungary's ruling party, the Fidesz party, submitted the final amendment proposal to the constitution to parliament. This proposal focuses on ideological and conceptual issues. It includes the provision: "Hungary shall protect the institution of marriage as the union of one man and one woman established by voluntary decision, and the family as the basis of the survival of the nation."

Additionally, representatives of Fidesz acknowledged that marriage and the parent-child relationship are the basis of family relations. In this context, the amendment includes a provision previously announced by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, constituting a human being as either a man or a woman. At the same time, the fundamental law will include the statement that "the mother shall be a woman, the father shall be a man."

The Hungarian constitution will also include provisions stating that "Every child shall have the right to maintain on a regular basis a personal relationship and direct contact with both his or her parents, unless that is contrary to his or her interests." The amendment also imposes an obligation on the state to protect children's right to self-identify according to their gender and ensure their upbringing in line with values based on the country's constitutional identity and Christian culture.

The amendment also introduces the right to receive payment in cash, a ban on the production, use, distribution, and promotion of drugs, and virtually unlimited possibilities for the authorities to suspend the citizenship of individuals who are also citizens of another country.

The amendment proposal foresees that the government will be able to declare and extend a state of emergency without the consent of parliament. The opposition criticizes this provision, fearing it could lead to abuses of power. The current state of emergency has been in effect for three years, and the new regulations may enable its further extension.

The 2012 amendment to Hungary's constitution requires a constitutional majority in parliament but does not require approval in a nationwide referendum. This is the fifteenth change introduced by the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition.