The antecedents of the April laws are closely related to the political and social movements that took place in Hungary in the 19th century. they were significantly strengthened by the middle of the century. These movements, driven by the political ideals of the reform era and the desire for national self-determination, took a radical turn when the youth of March made bold demands. The 12 points containing their demands emphasized the need for civil development and social changes, based on the Opposition Declaration, which reflected the program of the Opposition Party, which was formed as the antithesis of the Conservative Party loyal to the Habsburgs.

The founding of the Opposition Party, founded in November 1846, was a significant milestone in Hungarian political life. The party was led by Count Lajos Batthyány, and its members included commoners, nobles and "plebeians", which proved the broad nature of the social base. The party's program, which was developed by Lajos Kossuth and Ferenc Deák, defined the concrete conditions of bourgeois development, anticipating the spirit of the later April laws.

Kossuth presented his inscription proposal based on the program adopted at the 1847 conference at the Order's Parliament of 1847-1848, which received unanimous support in the lower house as a result of the Paris Revolution, but was only accepted by the House of the Order after the news of the Vienna Revolution.

After that, the even bolder demands formulated in the 12 points and sent to the Diet in Bratislava further accelerated the events. As a result of long, multi-stage negotiations, Ferdinand V finally approved the final set of laws on April 11, 1848. Some elements of this legislative package were not entirely without precedent. The improvement of the serfdom's situation and the limitation of the landlord's power were already marked by the urbaries of Mária Theresa and II. József's decrees also tried to promote it.

It is important to emphasize that the adoption of the April laws, which brought revolutionary changes, took place in a completely legitimate way, approved by the ruler, which provided a serious basis for negotiations later on.

Quotes about the April laws:

  • "This is not all that includes the future of the entire nation, but is the basis of our future development..." [Lajos Kossuth]
  • "Hungary is part of the empire, but not subordinate to it." [Lajos Batthyány]
  • "in terms of the passed laws and their consequences, the annals of our legislature do not know anything more important and notable. A small set of our laws, which have been approved by the current parliament, will include significant changes in all aspects of our state. Our National Assembly is together for the second time in this form; when we return home, we will no longer encounter the old conditions." [Chairman János Zarka, chairman of the lower board]

Of the 31 articles of law adopted in the last order parliament that abolished feudalism, the first two are about the memory of Palatine József and the strengthening of István's position as Palatine, while the others

  • on the regulation of the state organization
  • on the liquidation of feudal legal institutions,
  • on civil liberties, respectively
  • on economic provisions.

Based on certain aspects, a parallel can be drawn between the relationship between the Habsburg Empire and Hungary at that time and the current relationship between Brussels and our country. Just as the Batthyány government did not want to tear our country away from the Habsburg Empire, the Orbán administration is definitely in favor of EU membership, but we are currently not willing to give up national sovereignty in the same way as our predecessors did not do 176 years ago. "Hungary is part of the empire, but not subordinate to it," said Batthyány. Today, this statement can be perfectly translated as that our country is part of the European Union (hereinafter: EU), but not subordinate to it. The supranational organization does not represent a global government, nor a "superior" rule over the member states. Just like the later Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the EU is also made strong by the independence, diversity and voluntary cohesion of the nation-states.

Although we are talking about 176-year-old legislation, the nation-centered, sovereignist spirit of the April laws can still be seen in action in our constitutional system and in our currently effective legislation.

The VI of 1848 and VII. law provided for the union of Partium and Transylvania with Hungary. Although the XXI. century, 104 years after the Trianon tragedy, it has no relevance, taking responsibility for Hungarians across the border is still a national strategic aspect for the civilian government. The Basic Law its preamble, the National Creed, declares that we will preserve the intellectual and spiritual unity of our nation, torn apart by the storms of the past century. The Basic Law According to Article D), Hungary bears responsibility for the fate of Hungarians living outside its borders, keeping in mind the unity of the unified Hungarian nation, promotes the survival and development of their communities, supports their efforts to preserve their Hungarianness, the enforcement of their individual and community rights, the establishment of their community self-governments, their prosperity in their homeland, and promotes their cooperation with each other and with Hungary. The government of our country must make its decisions with regard to 15 million people, just as the head of state must express the unity of 15 million people as members of the nation.

The carrying of public burdens is regulated by Act VIII of 1848. article of law stated, at the same time abolishing the tax exemption of the nobility and the churches. According to this article of law, all the inhabitants of Hungary and the parts connected to it bear all public burdens without distinction, equally and proportionately. In the legal development of our country, public liability was defined here for the first time. The basic rules of public burden-carrying are now laid down in Act CXCIV of 2011 on the economic stability of Hungary. It is defined by Chapter V of the Act, but it is also mentioned at the constitutional level: XXX of our national constitution. according to Article (1), according to their carrying capacity and their participation in the economy, everyone contributes to covering common needs.

XVIII of 1848 on the Press Act. § 1 of the law stated that everyone can freely communicate and distribute their thoughts through the press, thereby abolishing prior censorship. This is essentially the codified declaration of the first-generation fundamental right of expression and freedom of the press, which is the Basic Law. IX. (1)-(2) of Art. in law. An important difference is that the 1848 XVIII. article of law contains so-called press offences, which include defamation, the definition and sanctioning of which can be found in the Penal Code today.

The XIX of 1848 on the Hungarian university § 2 of the law stipulated the freedom of education and learning, which also appears in the current Basic Law. XI. in paragraphs (1)-(2) of Article

Hungary's sovereignty was torn by the Habsburgs after the Turkish occupation, and although our country did not become a fully sovereign country by the April laws, they can still be considered a significant step in terms of our independence. Achieving our independence and self-determination was just as important for our nationalistic compatriots in the 1800s as it is in the 21st century. century. National sovereignty is right from the Basic Law. it appears at the beginning, in paragraph (1) of Article B), according to which Hungary is an independent, democratic state governed by the rule of law. They tried to influence the 2022 parliamentary election campaign with money coming directly from abroad, which seriously violates the sovereignty and political autonomy of our country, as well as poses a risk to national security. In order to be able to repel attacks aimed at our independence more effectively in the future, the parliament adopted Law LXXXVIII of 2023 on the protection of national sovereignty. law, thus creating the Sovereignty Protection Office, which is supposed to supervise the enforcement of our state's sovereignty. In parallel, the 2012 Criminal Code. Act C was also supplemented by 350/A. § (prohibited influence of voter will), which states that a member, responsible person or executive officer of a nominating organization according to the Act on the Electoral Procedure, as well as a candidate according to the Act on the Electoral Procedure, who has prohibited foreign support, or in order to evade this prohibition uses a financial advantage derived from an agreement concealing the origin of the prohibited foreign aid, is punishable by up to three years' imprisonment for a felony.

The laws of April 1848 profoundly and permanently shaped the political, legal and social image of Hungary. Although many reforms were abolished after the War of Independence was defeated and the country was forced into the repression of the Bach era, some key measures, such as the emancipation of serfs and public burdens, survived or were introduced during this period.

With the end of the Bach era, especially through the compromise, the public law provisions of the April laws assumed an important role again. III of 1848 on the definition of the state structure. This article was the basis of Hungarian public law for decades, until the 1949 constitution, and the regulations related to ministerial responsibility practically remained in force until 1973. The functioning of the parliament also continued unchanged until 1885, until the reform of the electoral board, while the rules of local authority elections were amended as early as 1870. The Act on Freedom of the Press until 1914, the XX Act on the Equality of Established Religions. and the law was in force until 1947.

The Budapest-centered infrastructural developments envisioned by Count István Széchenyi can still be observed today, which left a mark not only on the cityscape, but also on Hungary's economic and social progress.

All in all, the April laws and their consequences were key to the modernization of Hungary, the evolution of the legal system and the promotion of social transformations, and their impact spans decades and even centuries.

Source: alaptorvenyblog.hu

Photo: Civilek.info / CÖF-CÖKA holiday commemoration at the Bem statue, March 15, 2024.