Hungary Passes Laws Curtailing Gay Rights and Expanding Executive Power
The legislation allows Prime Minister Viktor Orban to further consolidate power while eroding civil liberties. It also makes it harder to scrutinize how the government spends public funds.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary in Brussels last week.Credit.Pool photo by John Thys
By Benjamin Novak
Dec. 15, 2020
BUDAPEST The Hungarian Parliament passed a raft of sweeping measures on Tuesday that curtail the rights of gay citizens and make it more difficult for opposition parties to challenge Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his party in future elections.
The new laws also relax oversight of the spending of public funds, which critics say will allow the government to use state money to benefit loyalists.