Opposition Tisza leader criticizes Hungarian government over child welfare failures

Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza Party, issued a statement on Monday, saying that “there should be no compromise over our children or grandchildren,”, adding that “a well-functioning … state has the primary obligation to save and protect the most vulnerable, children.”

Magyar called for zero tolerance in all cases of child abuse. He insisted that Hungary had “hundreds of thousands of children living below the poverty line”, and slammed the authorities for lengthy adoption procedures and for letting “abandoned babies remain in hospital care for up to one year”.

Magyar criticised the government for “learning nothing” from the child molestation scandal at the orphanage of Bicske, and said the government had “promised everything but failed to do anything”. He said the area of child protection suffered from “a lack of experts, underpaid teachers, lengthy legal procedures and unprepared authorities.”

“Ruling Fidesz’s politicians and oligarchs are having a great time on board of pricy luxury yachts while hundreds of thousands of children have no access to proper food,” Magyar said, pledging to protect children and to be rigorous in applying laws “against criminals no matter who they are or where they come from.”