Judicial independence in Hungary is facing its biggest threat since the country’s 1989 revolution, following the government’s decision to force 200 judges into retirement and replace them with nominees of a single politically appointed individual.

This development is one of several legislative changes introduced by prime minister Viktor Orban, who swept into power with a so-called ‘super majority’ in 2010. These include restrictions on the media, the arts, churches and the central bank, as well as the effective seizure of €10bn in private pension assets.

The judges’ retirements were forced by reducing the retirement age from 70 to 62 years. This measure and changes to the pension system have led to nearly 8,000 individual applications being lodged against Hungary at the European Court of Human Rights in the last month.

Council of Europe secretary general Thorbjorn Jagland wrote to Hungary’s foreign affairs minister Janos Martonyi on 11 January to remind him of the country’s obligations ‘flowing from its membership of the Council of Europe’. He said that the government should respect not only ‘human rights, democracy and rule of law in the course of the legislative process’, but also the ‘underlying principles of democracy’ and the ‘checks and balances ensured through the proper functioning of independent institutions’.