János Kis: The Hungarian Constitutional Crisis

On Easter Monday, April 25, the Hungarian President signed into law Hungary’s new constitution, scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2012. The constitution is widely understood to be more than an instrument to overcome technical deficiencies of the old constitution. It is celebrated by some as the constitutional consolidation of a conservative revolution. Others insist it is in deep tension procedurally, substantively and symbolically with basic commitments to liberal democracy, that are the foundation of the European Union. What exactly is troubling about the new constitution and should it be a concern for European citizens and their governments?