Tens of thousands of Hungarian protesters have gathered in Budapest since Jan. 1 to voice their opposition to Hungary's controversial new constitution. The ruling Fidesz party used its unprecedented two-thirds majority in parliament to rewrite the constitution, and the document is being criticized on the grounds that it serves only to further entrench Fidesz's rule, as well as that of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Jan. 1 also saw the enactment of a new set of regulations concerning Hungary's central bank, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB). These new rules, which merge the MNB with a government financial regulator and give the government the power to appoint its vice president, have been lambasted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union and the United States, which say they reduce the MNB's independence.