Hungary’s radical nationalist Jobbik party has called for stricter controls and increased punishment for crimes committed by politicians under a package of proposals aimed at fighting government corruption.

Jobbik’s Előd Novák has called for stepping up punishments for crimes if committed by a politician (photo: alfahir.hu)

Speaking at a press conference, Előd Novák, the party’s deputy leader, said that Jobbik has started collecting signatures in support of the scheme. Under the proposals, crimes committed by politicians would not lapse and new rules would apply to suspending immunity rights. He said the signature drive launched on the party’s website and at street stalls has already attracted much interest. Feedback shows that people agree that politicians should be obliged to undergo an assessment of their growth of wealth every four years, Mr. Novák said. It has also been strongly supported that punishment for economic crimes would be doubled in the case of politicians and all their assets would be seized, he added.

Speaking in October, Lajos Kósa, leader of the country’s ruling centre-right Fidesz party’s parliamentary group, described the case of Béla Kovács, a Hungarian MEP for the radical nationalist Jobbik party who is accused of spying, is the biggest political corruption scandal of the post-communist era. The Jobbik MEP’s immunity was lifted by the European Parliament last week, giving the go-ahead for proceedings against Mr. Kovács, who has been accused of spying for Russia.

via hungarymatters.hu

photo: bbj.hu