Third Orbán Government

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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.

Third Orbán Government

71st Cabinet of Hungary
Incumbent
Date formed6 June 2014
Date dissolved18 May 2018
People and organisations
Head of stateJános Áder
Head of governmentViktor Orbán
Head of government's history1998–2002, 2010–present
Deputy head of governmentZsolt Semjén
Member party
Status in legislatureSupermajority (until 22 February 2015)
133 / 199 (67%)
Majority government (by end of term)
131 / 199 (66%)
Opposition party
Opposition leaderGyula Molnár, Gábor Vona
History
Election2014 election
Outgoing election2018 election
Legislature term2014–2018
PredecessorSecond Orbán Government
SuccessorFourth Orbán Government

Policy

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Immigration

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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

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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

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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

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Beginning of term

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Party breakdown of cabinet ministers in the beginning of term:

7
2
2

End of term

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Party breakdown of cabinet ministers in the end of term:

8
3
3

Members of the Cabinet

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Office Name Party Term
Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán Fidesz 2014–2018
Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office János Lázár Fidesz 2014–2018
Minister of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office Antal Rogán Fidesz 2015–2018
Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén KDNP 2014–2018
Ministers
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Tibor Navracsics Fidesz 2014
Péter Szijjártó Fidesz 2014–2018
Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér Independent 2014–2018
Minister of Justice László Trócsányi Independent 2014–2018
Minister of National Economy Mihály Varga Fidesz 2014–2018
Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog Fidesz 2014–2018
Minister of National Development Miklós Seszták KDNP 2014–2018
Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas Fidesz 2014–2018
Minister of Defence Csaba Hende Fidesz 2014–2015
István Simicskó KDNP 2015–2018
Ministers without portfolio
Minister for National Politics Zsolt Semjén KDNP 2014–2018
Minister for Responsible for the Planning, Construction and Commissioning
of the two new blocks at Paks Nuclear Power Plant
János Süli Independent 2017–2018
Minister for Responsible for the Development of Cities with County Rights Lajos Kósa Fidesz 2017–2018

Composition

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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.

Office Image Incumbent Political party In office
Prime Minister   Viktor Orbán Fidesz 10 May 2014 – 10 May 2018
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister without portfolio for National Politics
  Zsolt Semjén KDNP 6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of the Prime Minister's Office   János Lázár Fidesz 6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of the Prime Minister's Cabinet Office   Antal Rogán Fidesz 17 October 2015 – 18 May 2018
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade   Tibor Navracsics Fidesz 6 June 2014 – 13 September 2014
  Péter Szijjártó Fidesz 23 September 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of Interior   Sándor Pintér Independent 6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of Justice   László Trócsányi Independent 6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of National Economy   Mihály Varga Fidesz 6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of Human Resources   Zoltán Balog Fidesz 6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of National Development   Miklós Seszták KDNP 6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of Agriculture   Sándor Fazekas Fidesz 6 June 2014 – 18 May 2018
Minister of Defence   Csaba Hende Fidesz 6 June 2014 – 9 September 2015
  István Simicskó KDNP 10 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 Süli Independent 2 May 2017 – 18 May 2018
Minister without Portfolio
responsible for the development of towns with county rights
  Lajos Kósa Fidesz 2 October 2017 – 18 May 2018

References

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  1. ^ Troianovski, Anton; Feher, Margit (19 August 2015). "Migration Crisis Pits EU's East Against West". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 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. ^ "Migrant crisis: Hungary to hold referendum on EU quota plan". BBC News. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Orbán: Népszavazás lesz a betelepítési kvótáról". Magyar Nemzet. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Lehet népszavazni Orbánék kérdéséről" (in Hungarian). Népszabadság. 2016-05-03. Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-05-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ KDNP.hu. "Megszavazta az Országgyűlés a szabad vasárnap bevezetését".
  7. ^ HVG.hu (2015-03-15). "Vasárnapi boltzár: "Annyian voltak, mint a sáskák"".
  8. ^ Origo.hu (2015-06-30). "Már a Fidesz-szavazóknak is elegük van a vasárnapi zárva tartásból".
  9. ^ 444.hu (2015-11-11). "Bármi áron meg kell akadályozni, hogy népszavazás legyen a vasárnapi zárva tartásból".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ usnews.com (2016-04-11). "Hungary's government says it has asked parliament to repeal a very unpopular law banning most retail stores from opening on Sundays".
  11. ^ "Hungarian Parliament Passes Law Targeting Foreign-Funded NGOs". 14 June 2017.
  12. ^ "Hungary approves strict regulations on foreign-funded NGOs". BBC News. 13 June 2017.

General

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