Hungary’s government filed further amendments to laws criticized by the European Commission that have blocked the start of talks on a European Union and International Monetary Fund loan. The latest changes narrow the prime minister’s room to fire the independent data-protection commissioner, according to the amendment posted on Parliament’s website yesterday. It doesn’t address a second EU objection about the termination of the previous commissioner’s mandate before it expired. The amendments aim to “strengthen the independence” of the data-protection agency “in line with the European Commission’s concerns,” according to the document.
The European Commission this week took a formal step toward seeking a court order to require Hungary to redraft laws on the judiciary and data-protection agency and asked for more information on planned changes to a new central bank law.