Hungary’s parliament has rejected constitutional amendments intended to make Holocaust denial a punishable offense. Some local Jewish community leaders believe that Monday's vote represented the first parliamentary victory for Jobbik, a rapidly rising extreme-right party widely predicted to win seats in the national elections due within a year.
The proposals, put forth by the caretaker Socialist government, attracted fewer than half the votes needed to adopt a constitutional amendment. The Fidesz opposition party rejected the proposals along with the Free Democrats, the erstwhile coalition partners of the Socialists.
Many observers believe that Fidesz opposed the reforms for fear of provoking the wrath of Jobbik. Holocaust denial is outlawed in many countries which, like Hungary, were occupied by the Nazis during World War II. The Hungarian government’s attempt at introducing the legislation that failed was made in response to provocations by neo-Nazis at Buda Castle that marred Holocaust Remembrance Day.
