Hungarian parliament amends constitution to combat terrorism

Hungary's parliament on Tuesday amended the constitution to manage the threat of terrorism in the country while adopting a law to set up an Anti-terrorism Information and Criminal Analysis Center and a legal package to combat terrorism.

Winning the constitutional amendment with a two-thirds majority, parliament can now, at the initiative of the government, declare a state of terrorism emergency that allows the government to suspend certain laws and take emergency measures.

Although a two-thirds parliamentary majority is required to declare the terrorism emergency, the government may act before the parliamentary vote.

Immediately after it submits its initiative, it may take emergency measures for a maximum of 15 days or until the parliamentary vote.

If parliament approves the action, the state of terrorism emergency remains in force and laws may be suspended, but if it rejects it, the government will be required to halt its actions.

As for the Anti-terrorism Information and Criminal Analysis Center, it will take the place of the Coordination Center against Organised Crime but will continue to operate within the interior ministry. It will research all available data on possible threats of terrorism, on the domestic security situation, and on public safety and report its findings to the government.

Parliament also voted to include terrorist actions or preparations for terrorist actions as a separate category in the penal code. Endit