Socialists want funding for Aug 20 festivities diverted to epidemic response

The opposition Socialists have called on the government to divert the money earmarked for the August 20 national holiday’s fireworks display and other festivities towards measures aimed at mitigating the effects of the novel coronavirus epidemic.

The government is planning to organise programmes to celebrate the country’s statehood on an unprecedented scale, lawmaker Zsolt Molnár told an online press conference.

He called it “irresponsible” to organise such mass events at a time when the outcome of the epidemic was unclear and tens to hundreds of thousands had lost their jobs.

In addition,

the events will most likely cost billions of forints in taxpayer money, Molnár said, demanding that the government disclose the exact amount it has earmarked for the festivities.

The Socialist Party will launch an online petition calling for the money to be spent on social support and on mitigating the effects of the epidemic, he said.

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Source: MTI