Hungary's parliament has adopted the 15th amendment of the Fundamental Law with 140 votes in favor and 21 against.
According to MTI, the amendment, proposed by the ruling parties, was designed to confirm that gender at birth is biologically determined, either male or female. Under the new changes, the state must ensure the protection of that "natural order" and prevent any endeavours to suggest there are opportunities to change sex at birth.
The fixed nature of the biological gender will ensure the healthy development of society and help maintain fundamental norms of the community, the preamble to the legislation said. Hungarian law refuses to recognise changes to one's sex at birth, thus preserving the stability of the family as an institution and social order, it added.
The amendment enshrines in the constitution "the protection of children's bodily, spiritual and moral development, and the right to children's identity according to their gender at birth" as a fundamental right of paramount importance, enjoying proportionate protection. This precedes any other right with the exception of the right to human life, it adds.
Also under the amendment, the Hungarian citizenship of dual citizens may be suspended for definite periods of time, but such a suspension cannot be applied collectively to groups of citizens.
The amendment also enshrines in the constitution the right to use cash. According to the legislation, retaining cash transactions is the only way to prevent the economy from becoming vulnerable to electronic banking systems, which are prone to failure from technical or economic reasons. Inclusion of those stipulations in the constitution will ensure the option to pay with cash for everybody, thus preventing opportunities from financial segregation, the preamble says.
Meanwhile, the new changes outlaw the production, abuse, distribution and promotion of drugs, aimed at reinforcing the Hungarian state's commitment to protecting public safety, healthy life styles and public order.
Another change stipulates that, with the exception of the chief prosecutor, prosecutors can continue working until their 70th birthday.
Under current regulations, the government has the authority to pass decrees, suspend certain laws or deviate from them, as well as take extraordinary measures in a special legal order. After Monday's amendment takes effect, the government will have the authority to suspend or deviate from some laws under martial law or in an emergency without special authorisation by parliament. In a state of danger, however, the government will need the approval of parliament's two-thirds majority to do so for a given period of time.
In changes related to localities, the amended constitution stipulates that the right of movement should not impinge on the right of local communities to uphold their identity. According to the preamble, the new passages would ensure protection to those communities that seek to preserve their way of life, traditions or social structure, and allow them to define the size of their community.
New passages concerning the special legal order and prosecutors will take effect on January 1 next year, but the rest of the stipulations will become effective the day after their publication.