“The changes following the implementation of the fundamental law on January 1, 2012 need to be explained precisely and clearly,” Sulyok said, adding that it was important that the opinion of foreign experts and the media concerning Hungary “should reflect the real situation”.

By introducing a real system for lodging constitutional complaints, for instance, the fundamental law has allowed the petitioners to directly appeal to the top court if their fundamental rights have been violated, he said. In the past five years, the number of constitutional complaints has been steadily increasing, and in 2016 was double the number in 2013, he added.

Forty ambassadors accredited to Hungary were briefed late last month at a reception at the Constitutional Court’s headquarters about the body’s role in the context of Hungarian democracy, its strong mandate in protecting and enforcing the country’s fundamental law, its powers and the process of electing its members on the basis of a political consensus, he noted.

Sulyok also commented on a recent meeting between Hungarian constitutional judges and their counterparts from central and eastern Europe concerning the court’s workings. At a recent round-table discussion organised in Szeged, in southern Hungary, issues such as the right to the use of the mother tongue and access to legal representation were on the agenda with top judges from Romania, Slovakia and Serbia, he noted.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.