Hungarian President signs controversial state property bill

Hungarian President László Sólyom has signed the new bill on state property that will enable the privatization of several state companies. Sólyom found no constitutional problems with the new version of the bill passed by Parliament on Monday last week.

The original version of the bill was passed by the governing majority in June, but Sólyom vetoed it on the grounds that it would give the government too much power. The President himself will now select the members of the decision-making panel.

After th bill was passed last week, anti-government protesters pelted MPs leaving the Parliament building with beer cans, shouting "traitor" and "you sold our homeland" at Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány.

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