Hungarian crisis management caught in critique-crossfire between opposition parties

The co-leader of opposition LMP said the government should “take genuine measures” that support the livelihoods of Hungarian families and businesses instead of “sending nice messages” at a press conference on Facebook on Saturday.

Máté Kanász-Nagy said the government had “lost control since the weekend of vaccine chaos” and failed to take the measures called for in the difficult situation at hand.

He said LMP continues to push for full sick pay for people who have to stay at home because of the coronavirus, and it wants 100 percent wage support for all affected sectors.

He added that businesses in trouble should get support to pay their bills, while companies forced to close because of pandemic restrictions should get subsidies to re-open.

He said job-seekers’ benefits should be extended to nine months.

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MTI also reported that another opposition party also added to the critiquing. The Democratic Coalition (DK) believes governing Fidesz could not defend Hungarians from the coronavirus pandemic, which is why it is spending billions of forints on a Covid immunity certificate, a “patch-up job” that will no longer be valid in on one or two months, the opposition party’s spokesman said at a press conference on Facebook on Saturday.

Balázs Barkóczi said the immunity certificate will only be valid within Hungary, as it does not show the type of vaccine, as required by European Union rules.

“Instead of meaningful pandemic management, government hastiness and paralysis is on display,” he said.

Source: MTI