ODIHR experts discuss electoral recommendations in Hungary

A team of election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) met with electoral stakeholders in Hungary from 12 to 14 March 2019 to present the final report of ODIHR’s limited election observation mission for the  parliamentary elections held in April last year.

The report’s findings and recommendations were presented to representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the National Election Office, the National Election Commission, the Ministry of Justice, the parliament’s Legislative Committee, the public broadcaster and the State Audit Office, as well as civil society and private media.

The recommendations focused on further improving the legal framework for elections through an inclusive review process with an emphasis on both the freedoms of expression and association and on access to information. Other measures to support democratic elections discussed during the visit included removing unreasonable restrictions on civil society, decriminalizing defamation and introducing explicit provisions for citizen election observation.

Recommendations from ODIHR’s previous election assessment not yet fully addressed were also discussed, including those on promoting women’s participation in politics and fostering greater transparency in campaign finance.

“We appreciate frank and constructive discussions with a broad range of stakeholders on the recommendations related to the 2018 elections in Hungary,” said Alexander Shlyk, Head of the ODIHR Elections Department. “Based on these discussions, the next steps in our co-operation can be related to improving public consultations regarding electoral laws and other relevant legislation and exploring possible ways to enhance electoral legislation and practice. Hungarian authorities can rely on ODIHR's support and expertise in their efforts to follow up on the recommendations.”

ODIHR experts emphasized the importance of addressing recommendations in the final report and broader reform initiatives well ahead of the next elections. During the meetings, the authorities expressed interest in receiving ODIHR support through expert advice and comparative examples of good practice related to specific electoral issues and, in the longer term, in considering requests for legal reviews of draft legislation.

All OSCE participating States have committed themselves to following up on ODIHR's election assessments and recommendations.