Hungary's president urges civility in political discourse

Hungarian President Janos Ader takes an oath during his inauguration ceremony for a second five-year term at the plenary session of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, May 8, 2017. (Tamas Kovacs/MTI via AP) (The Associated Press)

prev next

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, right, congratulates Hungarian President Janos Ader at the end of the inauguration ceremony for a second five-year term during the plenary session of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, May 8, 2017. (Tamas Kovacs/MTI via AP) (The Associated Press)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, right, applauds Hungarian President Janos Ader, left, at the end of Ader's inauguration ceremony for a second five-year term at the plenary session of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, May 8, 2017. (Szilard Koszticsak/MTI via AP) (The Associated Press)

Hungary's president says rapidly deteriorating public discourse risks demolishing the country's achievements since the 1990 return to democracy.

President Janos Ader, speaking Monday after his induction ceremony in Parliament, says politicians should not follow the example of tabloid publications and involve each other's families and sexual or religious identities in their disputes.

Ader, re-elected in March by lawmakers to a second five-year term, has himself been the target of pointed, sometimes crude criticism because of his decision to not challenge recent amendments to the law on higher education which could force Central European University, founded by billionaire George Soros in 1991, to leave Budapest.

The opposition Socialist Party did not attend Ader's induction, saying he failed to live up to his office's stated principle to represent all Hungarians.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/hungarys-president-urges-civility-in-political-discourse