The Council of Hundreds believes the matter of pardon has been miscommunicated.
Documentary filmmaker Fruzsina Skrabski, a member of the Council of Hundreds, shared a statement from the organization. In it, they call upon the parliament not to accept the resignation of Katalin Novák, the President of Hungary. According to the reasoning shared on
Facebook:
“A majority of the members sense the emergence of new fault lines within the Hungarian society because of the pardon case. Therefore, they ask Novák to reconsider her decision to resolve the issue dividing the nation.”
The statement quotes Zsolt Zétényi, a former MDF-party Member of Parliament and a member of the Council, who believes the pardon matter has been misrepresented.
“In fact, according to the judgments, the person granted clemency did not commit any pedophilic sexual acts, nor did they assist in such acts. Instead, they helped reduce the responsibility of the accused perpetrator, while also claiming to be innocent themselves. The incorrect information and the resulting misunderstanding caused significant outrage, followed by a public disillusionment upon more detailed information due to disproportionate consequences and resignations. The miscommunication has caused greater social shock than the act of clemency itself. The resignations were unnecessary and disproportionately severe decisions. This situation is rectifiable. Responsible Hungarian intellectuals and public figures must now demonstrate their firm opinions,” reads the statement signed by presidents Bertalan Andrásfalvy, István Szijártó, and László Foltán.
The Council of Hundreds was formed in 1997 from the recommendations of one hundred and fifty civil organizations and consists of the hundred individuals who received the most votes. Its purpose is to create strategic analyses, positions, and recommendations on national issues of destiny.