Third Orbán Government Explained

Cabinet Name:Third Orbán Government
Jurisdiction:Hungary
Cabinet Number:71st
Flag:Flag_of_Hungary.svg
Incumbent:Incumbent
Date Formed:6 June 2014
Date Dissolved:18 May 2018
Government Head:Viktor Orbán
Deputy Government Head:Zsolt Semjén
Government Head History:1998–2002, 2010–present
State Head:János Áder
Opposition Leader:Gyula Molnár, Gábor Vona
Election:2014 election
Last Election:2018 election
Legislature Term:2014–2018
Previous:Second Orbán Government

The third government of Viktor Orbán was the Government of Hungary between 6 June 2014 and 18 May 2018. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán formed his third cabinet after his party-alliance, Fidesz and its coalition partner, Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) altogether won a qualified majority in the 2014 parliamentary election.

Policy

Immigration

See main article: article and Hungarian migrant quota referendum, 2016.

During the 2015 European migrant crisis the government initiated the erection of the Hungary-Serbia barrier to block entry of illegal immigrants.[1] Just like the other Visegrád Group leaders, the government was against any compulsory EU long-term quota on redistribution of migrants.[2]

On 24 February 2016 the prime minister announced that the government would hold a Referendum on whether to accept the European Union's proposed mandatory quotas for relocating migrants.[3] He also said it is "no secret that the Hungarian government refuses migrant quotas" and that they will be campaigning for "no" votes. Orbán argued that the quota system would "redraw Hungary's and Europe's ethnic, cultural and religious identity, which no EU organ has the right to do".[4] On 5 May, after examining the legal challenges, the Supreme Court (Kúria) allowed the holding of the referendum.[5]

In the autumn of that year the no vote won with 3,362,224 votes or 98.36% of the total number of votes.

Free Sunday

Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People's Party (Hungary) has supported the restriction on Sunday shopping ("free Sunday", as they called) for a long time, citing Christian values. Parliament voted on the issue on December 14, 2014[6] and the law came into effect on March 15, 2015[7] (a Sunday on which shops would have been closed anyway, the day being a public holiday in Hungary). Public opinion was predominantly against the decision. Three polls done in the spring of 2015 registered an opposition of 64% (Szonda Ipsos), 62% (Medián) 59% (Tárki). By the end of May, according to a poll by Medián, 72% of those polled disliked the new law, even the majority of Fidesz-KDNP voters were against it.[8] Opposition parties and private persons tried to start a public referendum several times. By November 2015 there were 16 such attempts, but none of them were approved, for various bureaucratic reasons,[9] until in early 2016 one of these attempts, initiated by the Hungarian Socialist Party, was finally successful. The government, rather than being forced to hold the referendum (which could have been interpreted as a huge success for the opposition party, even though the law was opposed by the majority of Fidesz voters too) lifted the ban in April 2016.[10]

NGO Law

On 13 June 2017, The Hungarian Parliament Passed a Law Targeting Foreign-Funded NGOs. The law requires civil groups receiving foreign donations above a certain threshold to register as organizations funded from abroad. The law was passed 130 to 44, with 25 abstaining.[11] [12]

Party breakdown

Beginning of term

Party breakdown of cabinet ministers in the beginning of term:

7

2

2

End of term

Party breakdown of cabinet ministers in the end of term:

8

3

3

Members of the Cabinet

OfficeNamePartyTerm
Prime Minister's Office
Prime MinisterViktor OrbánFidesz
Minister of the Prime Minister’s OfficeJános LázárFidesz
Minister of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet OfficeAntal RogánFidesz
Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime MinisterZsolt SemjénKDNP
Ministers
Minister of Foreign Affairs and TradeTibor NavracsicsFidesz
Péter SzijjártóFidesz
Minister of InteriorSándor PintérIndependent
Minister of JusticeLászló TrócsányiIndependent
Minister of National EconomyMihály VargaFidesz
Minister of Human ResourcesZoltán BalogFidesz
Minister of National DevelopmentMiklós SesztákKDNP
Minister of AgricultureSándor FazekasFidesz
Minister of DefenceCsaba HendeFidesz
István SimicskóKDNP
Ministers without portfolio
Minister for National PoliticsZsolt SemjénKDNP
Minister for Responsible for the Planning, Construction and Commissioning
of the two new blocks at Paks Nuclear Power Plant
János SüliIndependent
Minister for Responsible for the Development of Cities with County RightsLajos KósaFidesz

Composition

Following the 2014 parliamentary election, Fidesz–KDNP gained 133 seats in the National Assembly. The government majority of the parliament elected Viktor Orbán as a fully-fledged prime minister on 10 May, but his third cabinet formed only 6 June.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs transformed into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, while the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice were renamed to Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Justice, respectively. On 17 October 2015, the Ministry of the Prime Minister's Cabinet Office was established. Two ministers without portfolio were appointed in May 2017 and October 2017.

OfficeImageIncumbentPolitical partyIn office
Prime MinisterViktor OrbánFidesz10 May 2014 – 10 May 2018
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister without portfolio for National Politics
Zsolt SemjénKDNP6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of the Prime Minister's OfficeJános LázárFidesz6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of the Prime Minister's Cabinet OfficeAntal RogánFidesz17 October 2015 – 18 May 2018
Minister of Foreign Affairs and TradeTibor NavracsicsFidesz6 June 2014 – 13 September 2014
Péter SzijjártóFidesz23 September 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of InteriorSándor PintérIndependent6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of JusticeLászló TrócsányiIndependent6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of National EconomyMihály VargaFidesz6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of Human ResourcesZoltán BalogFidesz6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of National DevelopmentMiklós SesztákKDNP6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of AgricultureSándor FazekasFidesz6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of DefenceCsaba HendeFidesz6 June 2014 – 9 September 2015
István SimicskóKDNP10 September 2015 – 18 May 2018
Minister without Portfolio
responsible for the planning, construction and commissioning
of the two new units at Paks Nuclear Power Plant
János SüliIndependent2 May 2017 – 18 May 2018
Minister without Portfolio
responsible for the development of towns with county rights
Lajos KósaFidesz2 October 2017 – 18 May 2018

References

General

Notes and References

  1. News: Troianovski. Anton. Anton Troianovski. Feher. Margit. 19 August 2015. Migration Crisis Pits EU's East Against West. The Wall Street Journal. registration. 19 August 2015.
  2. Ian Traynor. Refugee crisis: east and west split as leaders resent Germany for waiving rules . The Guardian, 5 September 2015.
  3. Web site: Migrant crisis: Hungary to hold referendum on EU quota plan. BBC News. 24 February 2016. 26 May 2016.
  4. Web site: Orbán: Népszavazás lesz a betelepítési kvótáról. Magyar Nemzet. 24 February 2016. 26 May 2016.
  5. Web site: Lehet népszavazni Orbánék kérdéséről . 2016-05-10 . 2016-05-03 . . Hungarian . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20160603075457/http://nol.hu/belfold/lehet-nepszavazni-orbanek-kerdeserol-1613995 . 2016-06-03 .
  6. Web site: Megszavazta az Országgyűlés a szabad vasárnap bevezetését. KDNP.hu.
  7. Web site: Vasárnapi boltzár: "Annyian voltak, mint a sáskák" . HVG.hu. 2015-03-15.
  8. Web site: Már a Fidesz-szavazóknak is elegük van a vasárnapi zárva tartásból. Origo.hu. 2015-06-30.
  9. Web site: Bármi áron meg kell akadályozni, hogy népszavazás legyen a vasárnapi zárva tartásból. 444.hu. 2015-11-11.
  10. Web site: Hungary's government says it has asked parliament to repeal a very unpopular law banning most retail stores from opening on Sundays. usnews.com. 2016-04-11.
  11. Web site: Hungarian Parliament Passes Law Targeting Foreign-Funded NGOs . 14 June 2017 .
  12. News: Hungary approves strict regulations on foreign-funded NGOs . BBC News . 13 June 2017 .