Hungarian Parliament Approves Penalty Against Opposition Lawmaker for Protest Banner
Sebők Éva of the Momentum party faces an 11 million forint fine and a six-day parliamentary exclusion following a protest against constitutional amendments.
On Tuesday, the Hungarian Parliament approved an 11 million forint penalty and a six-day exclusion from the parliamentary sessions for Sebők Éva, a member of the Momentum party.
This punitive measure was imposed by László Kövér, the Speaker of the National Assembly, related to a protest banner displayed in the parliamentary chamber.
The decision was backed by the Parliamentary Immunity Committee, which stated that Sebők and her colleagues had indeed disrupted the voting process.
The committee emphasized that sanctions are intended to serve as a deterrent, asserting that the imposed penalties were not disproportionate.
The controversy arose from an incident on April 14, when members of the Momentum party unfurled a banner reading "You may exclude us, but you cannot exclude the truth" in the assembly as part of their protest against a proposed amendment to the Constitution and restrictions on the right to assembly.
In her comments following the ruling, Sebők remarked, "I proudly wear every exclusion and penalty I receive; it is a privilege to receive such in an authoritarian system—this is a privilege of the resistors."
In total, Sebők Éva has accumulated fines amounting to 22 million forints and an exclusion from 12 parliamentary sessions due to earlier penalties from Kövér. In a previous instance, the Speaker had ordered an 80 million forint fine against the Momentum party in response to their smoke grenade action in March, which was a protest against legislation that sought to ban Pride events.
Following the latter incident, Kövér also filed complaints against the party members involved.
This punitive measure was imposed by László Kövér, the Speaker of the National Assembly, related to a protest banner displayed in the parliamentary chamber.
The decision was backed by the Parliamentary Immunity Committee, which stated that Sebők and her colleagues had indeed disrupted the voting process.
The committee emphasized that sanctions are intended to serve as a deterrent, asserting that the imposed penalties were not disproportionate.
The controversy arose from an incident on April 14, when members of the Momentum party unfurled a banner reading "You may exclude us, but you cannot exclude the truth" in the assembly as part of their protest against a proposed amendment to the Constitution and restrictions on the right to assembly.
In her comments following the ruling, Sebők remarked, "I proudly wear every exclusion and penalty I receive; it is a privilege to receive such in an authoritarian system—this is a privilege of the resistors."
In total, Sebők Éva has accumulated fines amounting to 22 million forints and an exclusion from 12 parliamentary sessions due to earlier penalties from Kövér. In a previous instance, the Speaker had ordered an 80 million forint fine against the Momentum party in response to their smoke grenade action in March, which was a protest against legislation that sought to ban Pride events.
Following the latter incident, Kövér also filed complaints against the party members involved.
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