The new regulations, adopted with 135 votes in favour, 22 against and 33 abstentions, are designed to fine-tune regulations and to align them with European Union law.

Personal data are already available in an application. From February 2025, users will be able to download and forward the authenticated contents of many official documents.

With the exception of personal IDs, documents will only be issued in physical form upon specific request. ID cards will be issued free of charge, but people above 14 will have to pay for the issuance of physical documents in other cases. Pensioners will have discount prices.

By reducing the number of plastic and paper documents, the government is expecting to reduce plastic waste by 11.1 tonnes a year, and paper waste by 1.2 tonnes.


Meanwhile, Parliament approves amendments on higher education, family affairs, culture

Parliament on Tuesday approved amendments to laws on higher education, family affairs and culture with 134 votes in support, 17 against and 39 abstentions.

In line with the amendments, married students who have children will be eligible for state scholarship until the age of 30, and tuition-paying students will be transferred to state scholarship if they get married and have children.

Students returning to Hungary after taking out a student loan abroad will have the option to repay their loan through the Hungarian student loan system.

Students raising children aged under 14 will be allowed to choose distance learning.

Several foundations operating universities will receive properties free of charge.

Museums in the future can be operated by the state, the local council, or by non-profit economic organisations owned by the state or local council.

The Fudan Hungary University Foundation will change its name to Tudas-Ter Foundation, and it will be tasked with implementing a student quarter dormitory development programme under the arrangements of university cooperation, and to develop student welfare services.


Parliament approves amendments to election laws

Parliament approved on Tuesday amendments to Hungary's election laws, reducing the number of constituencies in Budapest by two, increasing the number of constituencies in Pest County by two, and allowing the withdrawal of a candidacy until three days before the election.

The amendments submitted by parliament's justice committee were approved with 134 votes in favour, 52 against, and no abstentions.

In line with the amendments, Budapest will include 16 constituencies instead of 18, and Pest County 14 constituencies instead of 12. Minor changes were approved in constituency allocations in Fejer County and Csongrad-Csanad County.

The head of the committee Imre Vejkey, of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, said during the debate about the proposal that changes in demographics had prompted the amendments to the constituency allocations. The opposition parties have sharply criticised the proposal, saying that the changes served the interests of the ruling parties.

Lawmakers adopt 14th constitutional amendment

Lawmakers on Tuesday adopted the 14th amendment to Hungary's constitution, giving parliament room to elect the chief prosecutor from outside the prosecutorial system.

The amendment passed with 135 votes in favour and 53 against.

In their justification for the amendment, the authors of the bill said the amendment brings the regulation in line with the domestic practice, arguing that two of Hungary’s three chief prosecutors since the change of regime in 1989/90 had not been prosecutors before their election.

The amendment proposal submitted by parliament’s justice committee also makes reference to international examples, pointing out that many European countries do not require the chief prosecutor to have served as a prosecutor before fulfilling the role.

The amendment will enter into force on January 1, 2025. Chief Public Prosecutor Peter Polt’s mandate expires in 2028.

The amendment also raises the minimum age for judges from 30 to 35 years effective March 1, 2025. Also, as of January 1, 2026, judges will be allowed to remain on the bench until the age of 70.
 

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

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