demonstration

Opposition, trade unions protest against Orbán cabinet in countryside

Opposition parties and trade unions protested against recent government measures in three Hungarian cities in the countryside on Thursday.

In Zalaegerszeg, in western Hungary, demonstrators blocked half of a road for over three hours near an industrial park.

The demonstration jointly organised by Jobbik, the Socialist Party, the Democratic Coalition (DK), the LMP and the Metalworkers’ Union involved over thirty vehicles and protesters holding Hungarian and European Union flags, as well as party and trade union flags and posters with their demands.

Head of Jobbik’s local constituency Richárd Benke told a press conference that

this had been the first joint demonstration by the opposition parties in the city.

He said the “slave law”, the latest amendments to the labour code, had made them put aside their differences in opinion and ideologies and protest together in the interest of employees.

In Kecskemét, in central Hungary, DK, LMP, the Socialists, Jobbik, Momentum, unions and civic organisations held a car procession. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the “slave law”, reduced overtime for police, independent courts, Hungary joining the European Prosecutor’s Office and independent public media.

In Békéscsaba, in south-eastern Hungary,

around hundred people gathered to demonstrate against the government in front of the editorial offices of the local daily.

Speakers from the Socialists, Jobbik, DK and the Liberals protested against the “fake news from the propaganda press and one-sided, misleading information supplies”.

NO HESITATION! PRESIDENT ÁDER SIGNS THE AMENDMENT OF THE LABOR LAW – UPDATE – READ MORE HERE!

December 21, 2018

Orbán cabinet: Police gave muted response to demonstrators’ ‘attacks’

Zoltán Kovács, state secretary for international communications, says police at the recent demonstrations in Hungary gave a markedly muted response to the protests considering how opposition MPs and political activists “attacked” them and public institutions.

Kovács told MTI by phone from Paris that he and Szabolcs Takacs, the state secretary for European Union affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office, had addressed a press event there, discussing the context of the recent events in Hungary. Kovács said western European media had attempted to portray the demonstrations — which he said had clearly been initiated by opposition lawmakers and political activists — “as if something completely different were going on in the country”.

The state secretary said he and Takács had told journalists that

the demonstrations were political in nature and could also be linked to NGOs with ties to the “Soros network“.

Contrary to how western European media outlets were trying to portray the demonstrations — implying that police had used excessive force against the protesters — the authorities “actually gave a very muted response” considering that the opposition lawmakers and political activists “attacked” them and public institutions, Kovács said.

The state secretary said the media outlets in question were applying double standards in their portrayal of the protests. He cited the example of the “claim” that the demonstrations are about the amendment to the labour code, saying that Dutch Green MEP Judith Sargentini has raised the issue of human rights in recent days, when the upper threshold for annual overtime in the Netherlands is the European maximum of 416 hours, 16 hours more than the upper threshold in the Hungarian amendment.

Takacs said Hungary has had to endure a “systematic attack on its reputation” for eight years, the most notable example of which has been the Sargentini report, the resolution resulting from it and the events that have followed its approval by the European Parliament.

Protester attacking police receives suspended prison sentence

A protester in Sunday’s anti-government demonstration, who attacked police officers after the event, has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment, suspended for four years, the municipal court told MTI on Thursday.

The court said that the defendant had been drunk and attempted to hit two police officers. The defendant, who had a multiple police record, pleaded guilty, and accepted the sentence.

December 20, 2018

Hungarian opposition parties, civil groups stage anti-government demonstration in Eger

Opposition parties and civil groups staged a demonstration against the government in Eger, in northern Hungary, on Wednesday.

The protest, which was attended by a few hundred people, was organised against the recent amendment to the labour code, which organisers referred to as the “slave law” in the online advertisement for the event. The organisers said they were also protesting against the “unabashed theft” which they say is going on in Eger.

The crowd, which proceeded through downtown Eger demanding democracy and press freedom, was addressed in front of ruling Fidesz’s local headquarters by local politicians of the opposition LMP, Socialist, Democratic Coalition, Jobbik and Momentum Movement parties.

The speakers called on Hungarians to unite for the sake of ousting the “Fidesz regime” and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Jobbik‘s Ádám Mirkoczki said

Fidesz’s only real political achievement was that it had united people across the country who want democracy.

MIRKÓCZKI Jobbik MP Hungary — MP Ádám Mirkóczki (Jobbik), photo: MTI

HALF OF THE WORLD TALKS ABOUT THE HUNGARIAN ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS

After the passing of the infamous “slave law”, tens of thousands of people marched on the streets to protest it and the Hungarian government in general. Several protests have been organised, but the biggest one was last Sunday, on 16 December. The protest made the news not only in Hungary but all over the world, read more HERE.

December 20, 2018

Half of the world talks about the Hungarian anti-government protests

A series of anti-government protests have started after the government passed the so-called “slave law” which drastically increases the number of legal overtime an employer can demand from its employees: the government raised the upper threshold for annual overtime from 250 to 400 hours. The first demonstration was organised on 13 December. Since then, several protests followed all over Budapest, marching on the streets and arriving at different important locations in the capital.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/opposition-protests-against-labour-amendment-police-have-used-tear-gas-two-officers-were-injured-photos/” type=”big” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Opposition protests agains labour amendment – Police used tear gas, two officers were injured – PHOTOS, VIDEOS[/button]

These anti-government protests have been all over not only the Hungarian but the international media as well. Many world-famous journals have published articles about the Hungarian demonstrations.

Foreign media really turned their heads to the fourth and largest protest that was organised this Sunday, on 16 December.

British daily newspaper The Guardian published an article titled “Hungary’s ‘slave law’ prompts days of protest against Orbán” in which they wrote about the fourth protest that was going on in front of the state television headquarters on Sunday.

“As many as 15,000 people marched through Budapest on Sunday, ignoring subzero temperatures to register their discontent with the government. Police used pepper spray against demonstrators in a number of tense standoffs.”

The British journal also wrote about the politicians from the oppositional parties who got inside the building, demanding that their five demands be read on national television.

International news agency Reuters also wrote about the protests on Sunday. In their article titled ‘All I want for Christmas is democracy,’ say Hungarian protesters, they write that it was

“one of the biggest demonstrations Orban has faced since he rose to power in 2010 and began wielding his large parliamentary majority to pressure courts, media and non-government groups. The prime minister projects himself as savior of Hungary’s Christian culture against Muslim migration into Europe, and won a third straight term earlier this year. On Saturday, Orban’s ruling party Fidesz said “criminals” were behind the “street riots” and accused Hungarian-born U.S. billionaire George Soros of stoking the protests.”

Even The New York Times published a piece.

“Hungary’s democratic institutions, including reshaping the electoral system to favor his party and co-opting most of the news media in order to starve the opposition of exposure.”

The German Deutsche Welle and the BBC also reported about the Hungarian protests and people’s general dissatisfaction with Orbán’s government. The BBC emphasised how two Hungarian law-makers were thrown out of the building of the TV headquarters, and they also informed about what the protesters wanted and why Orbán thinks the reforms are necessary.

Featured image: MTI/Mohai Balázs

December 19, 2018

Jobbik welcomes ‘nationwide opposition’, Fidesz blames protesters for causing damage to Parliament

The recent protest staged by opposition deputies at public media headquarters was a sign of a “nationwide opposition” rather than cooperation between the parliamentary opposition parties, György Szilágyi, MP of conservative Jobbik, said at a press conference held on a different subject on Wednesday.

Péter Jakab, another Jobbik MP, said that the government has “created a situation in which there is a right side and there is a wrong one”. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is on the “wrong” side against the people supporting the protesters’ demands, he insisted.

The deputies denied having disturbed the operations of the public media; on the contrary, “regular operations should have been restored through dropping lies and broadcasting the demonstrators’ demands”.

The two MPs said that nobody was willing to talk to them at the media headquarters and criticised the police for failing to protect the deputies against security staff. Jakab said that the deputies were “doing their job” while security guards “aggressively” prevented them from performing an inspection of the facility.

Finally, Jakab called on President János Áder to veto the “slave law” on labour changes, the recent passage of which elicited the protests.

On the other hand, Fidesz beleives that the damage caused to Parliament and adjacent Kossuth Square in recent protests adds up to “millions of forints” (HUF 1m = EUR 3,000).

Zoltán Szilágyi said they had no exact figure because the damage was still being assessed, but said that two stained glass and several plain windows had been smashed, the stairs to the main entrance had been sprayed with paint, while the bronze lion figures and candelabra on either side of the entrance were tainted with paint and eggs. “Parliament’s wall also has innumerable spots of paint or eggs, as well as burn marks,” he said, adding that “the mast of the flag of the nation was also spray-painted”.

Szilágyi said that the protesters had dismantled the fence around the nation’s Christmas tree in Kossuth Square, constructed of sledges meant to be given to needy children,; 22 sledges were missing and the tree’s lights were damaged.

Featured image: MTI

December 19, 2018

SURVEY – Majority of Hungarians reject violence

A large majority of Hungarians support law and order and reject violent street protests that question the government’s legitimacy, the latest survey of Századvég Foundation said on Tuesday.

Over the past few days, several protests led by opposition politicians “led to violence and aggression” in Budapest. The demonstrators attacked police and tried to break into public buildings, damaging and burning property on the way, it said.

The survey showed that 88 percent of the respondents had heard about the demonstrations.

Eighty-five percent of the sample said that aggression against police, vandalism and lighting fires are unacceptable. Twelve percent said the contrary and 3 percent declined to disclose their opinion.

Fully 80 percent of the sample objected that opposition politicians “encouraged supporters to commit violence” which 15 percent called this attitude acceptable.

Some 59 percent of those asked said that protesters and their organisers had lost control over the events and became excessively violent, while 36 percent said this was untrue.

Fully 73 percent of the respondents said that violent demonstrations are an unacceptable method for toppling the government while 25 percent considered it acceptable.

Századvég conducted its survey between Sunday and Tuesday by phone, on a randomly selected sample of 1000 adults.

December 19, 2018

Another anti-government demonstration held in Budapest under opposition initiative

Opposition politicians attended a demonstration in front of the public media headquarters in Budapest on Monday, calling for a “free and independent public media” as well as the abolishment of MTVA, the public media asset manager and fund.

Bertalan Tóth, the Socialist Party’s leader, said that when the Fidesz won a two-thirds for a third time, it was time to conclude that the opposition’s parliamentary actions had been ineffective, and this is why they had disrupted the plenary session last Monday.

“This fight must go on until the power holders understand that the people do not want repression,” he said.

Lajos Kepli, a Jobbik MP, said one big positive was that opposition forces were joining together as never before.

Sándor Székely, a Democratic Coalition lawmaker, told the crowd not to allow Fidesz “to set up unlawful courts”.

Tímea Szabó, co-leader of the Párbeszéd party, vowed to continue protesting in front of the public media headquarters until their demands are met and their petition is read out. She said it had been unprecedented since the 1990 change in political system for MPs to be removed by force from a public building.

Bernadett Szél, an independent MP, said violence had gone “to the next level” and she called for the interior minister to be sacked.

She insisted that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was also ultimately responsible for the manhandling of parliamentarians in a public institution.

Independent MP Ákos Hadházy told the crowd that with their demand for an independent media, the people had landed a blow to the holders of power.

András Fekete-Győr, the leader of the Momentum Movement, said “the system built since 2010” was trammeling the people, ignoring their opinions and laughing in their faces.

Tamás Székely, deputy head of the Federation of Hungarian Trade Unions, vowed to launch strikes nationwide if President János Áder signed the “slave law” on extending overtime.

The opposition parties are demanding the abandonment of the amendment to the labour code and the new administrative court system, Hungary’s accession to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the creation of an independent public media.

A part of the protesters remained in front of the headquarters after the speeches were over, waving national and EU banners as well as flags of the protesting parties.

Featured image: MTI

December 18, 2018

Police must rein in unnecessary and excessive force used against protesters

Opposition protests against labour amendment

The police must rein in unnecessary and excessive force, including the use of tear gas, against peaceful protesters, Amnesty International said today ahead of further demonstrations planned tonight in Budapest.

“Demonstrators are expected to descend onto Budapest’s streets tonight for a sixth night of anti-government protests. Last night we witnessed displays of unnecessary and excessive force against peaceful protesters that included the use of tear gas. This must not be repeated again.

The police must use force only when strictly necessary and only when all other means to contain the violence have failed,” said Massimo Moratti, Deputy Director for Europe at Amnesty International.

“This morning’s forcible removal of two opposition MPs from the Hungarian public broadcaster’s (MTVA) building reveals the determination of Hungarian authorities to continue their crackdown on any form of dissent. This is in violation of Hungarian law, which gives MPs parliamentary immunity and access to all public institutions and contravenes Hungary’s international obligations to respect the right to freedom of expression.”

The Hungarian government’s crackdown on dissenting voices received further international condemnation today when the Venice Commission, one of Europe’s most prominent advisory bodies on constitutional law, issued an opinion criticizing Hungary’s ‘migration tax’ law.

The law forces civil society organizations considered to be supporting migration to pay a 25% tax on any foreign funding.

BACKGROUND

Thousands of people have taken to streets since Wednesday 12 December when the Hungarian parliament adopted what protesters are calling a ‘Slave law’, which allows employers to request workers to work up to 400 hours of overtime a year. Employers could delay these overtime payments for up to three years.

On the same day, the parliament adopted a new piece of legislation which created a new administrative court system that would be under control of the Minister of Justice, rather than operate as an independent judicial institution, as is the norm elsewhere in Europe.

In addition to their call to repeal the “Slave Law”, protesters issued a series of other demands including an independent judiciary and independent public media.

Featured image: MTI

December 17, 2018

Fidesz condemns politicians’ ‘violence’ at public media headquarters

Any attempt by politicians to “forcefully interfere” with operations of the (public) media is unacceptable, the communications director of ruling Fidesz said on Monday, in connection with developments at the public media headquarters during the previous night.

Balázs Hidvéghi insisted that protesting opposition deputies that spent the night at public media foundation MTVA headquarters “used the excuse of obtaining information for setting off the fire alarm and violently attacking public TV staff”.

The opposition deputies abused their powers and authorisations arising from their mandate, Hidvéghi said.

He said that “their obvious goal was to intimidate journalists” and added that “these are well-known methods of the pro-immigration Soros network”.

For that matter, MTVA has filed a criminal complaint with the police against opposition deputies “exceeding their rights arising from their mandate”, MTVA said on Monday morning.

The deputies, headed by independent MP Ákos Hadházy, entered the MTVA building on Sunday evening, saying that they wanted to make a public statement. MTVA’s security chief told them that “their right to enter the premises does not involve disturbing operations there”. The deputies were also warned that they cannot enter any of the studios or editorial offices.

According to MTVA’s statement, the deputies had said that unless their demands are met thousands of “angry people” would enter the building from the street.

The politicians, including independent Bernadett Szél, Socialist Ágnes Kunhalmi, Istvan Újhelyi and Tibor Szanyi, LMP’s Péter Ungár, Jobbik’s Andrea Varga-Damm and János Stummer, Liberal Anett Bősz, as well as Ágnes Vadai and László Varjú of the Democratic Coalition, spent the night in the MTVA building, the statement said.

Hadházy, who attempted to climb over a railing, and Szél were removed from the building by security staff.

Featured image: MTI

December 17, 2018

Follow-up: anti-government demonstrators protest for the liberation of public media – Photos, Video

Protesters turned up at the headquarters of the public broadcaster MTVA on Sunday evening after a demonstration of civil organisations and opposition parties against recent amendments to the labour code in Budapest.

The crowd included several opposition politicians who insisted that their demands should be read out in the public media, MTI correspondents reported.

Some lawmakers were allowed to enter the building with police escort.

They included Lajos Kepli and Janos Stummer of Jobbik, Laszlo Varju of the Democratic Coalition, Ágnes Kunhalmi of the Socialists, and independent MPs Ákos Hadházy and Bernadett Szél.

According to hvg.hu, the opposition politicians had five demands in the name of all, and they wanted to convince MTVA to broadcast them. The demands included the withdrawal of the “slave law”, less overtime for policemen, independent law courts, joining the European Prosecutor’s Office and free pubic media.

Police said on its website police.hu that some members of the crowd pelted crackers, bottles and other objects at the officers, then pushed those standing in the front onto the police lines.

Some demonstrators fell on the ground and felt faint.

After several warnings, police used tear gas against the crowd.

Those injured were taken behind the police lines for first aid and medical care, police said.

Featured image: MTI

December 17, 2018

Huge anti-government demonstration throngs central Budapest – Photos, LIVE VIDEO!

Civil organisations and opposition parties held a demonstration against a recent law on extending voluntary overtime in Budapest on Sunday.

The amendments to the labour code approved on Wednesday raise the upper threshold for annual overtime from 250 hours to 400 hours and extend the period employers may account overtime for the purpose of calculating wages and rest days from twelve months to three years, read more HERE.

Demonstrators marched from Heroes Square along Andrássy Boulevard, Teréz Boulevard and Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Street to Kossuth Square.

Addressing protesters, Tamás Székely, deputy head of the Hungarian Trade Union Confederation, said the government does not protect workers, adding that the unions would organise strikes and fight against this law in every workplace because they “will not allow slavery to be introduced in Hungary”.

Ildikó Borbély Bangó, a lawmaker of the Socialists, said the government had “turned Hungary into the poorhouse of Europe over the past eight years”.

Independent liberal MP Anett Bősz said “we are fed up with the government’s oppressive measures” because no government can restrict people’s fundamental rights.

Co-leader of the green LMP party Márta Demeter demanded fair wages instead of “slave work”. She spoke out against politicians “serving the interests of multinationals”.

Tímea Szabó, co-leader of the Párbeszéd party, said the prime minister “betrays his own people because the slave law will tear millions of families apart”. She called for resistance, which “should continue until the government withdraws the slave law”.

Independent MP Bernadett Szél said the only way to end oppression is to fight against it in unity.

Ágnes Vadai, a lawmaker of the Democratic Coalition, said she is “fed up with the government riding roughshod over everyone while tolerating fraudsters and robbers”.

Jobbik MP Andrea Varga-Damm said they are demonstrating because “the government had turned against its own country and people”.

A message was read out to the crowd from Catholic Bishop Miklós Beer, who called on demonstrators to refrain from violence. He expressed his respect for the protesters’ determination, but warned that arson and violence undermine their intention of achieving peaceful goals.

The crowd completely filled Kossuth Square, where the parliament building was protected by police lines.

LIVE VIDEO HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebi3GVXrEfE

Anti-government demonstration in Győr

ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTEST IN HUNGARY: POLICE ARREST 3 DEMONSTRATORS ON FRIDAY – PHOTOS

December 16, 2018

Anti-government protest in Hungary: Police arrest 3 demonstrators last night – Photos

Three demonstrators attacking the police line during an anti-government protest in Budapest have been arrested, the police website police.hu said late on Friday.

Budapest

Demonstrators gathered in front of the Parliament on the third day in a row to protest against changes to the labour code adopted on Wednesday.

Photo: MTI

Representatives of the parliamentary opposition Socialist, Jobbik, and Democratic Coalition parties, as well as the Momentum Movement, called for cooperation and further protests against the recent “slave law”.

Addressing a few hundred participants, Socialist board head Ágnes Kunhalmi warned that the government could “resort to banning the opposition” if ruling Fidesz wins the upcoming European Parliamentary elections.

Anna Donáth, deputy leader of the Momentum Movement, said that the government had “crossed all borders” with its recent amendment to the labour code, and insisted that the opposition must “take solidarity with all social groups”.

anti-government demonstrators on Friday — Photo: MTI

Conservative Jobbik’s Andrea Varga-Damm urged that

the government should be ousted and said that its members were “despots on the backs of the people” and that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is “surrounded by Rasputins”. She also said that the prime minister could “send the police and the military against the people any time”.

After the speeches participants in the protest left the square and set off in the direction of Margaret Bridge.

After the speeches 2-3 thousand demonstrators left Kossuth Square, marched round the city, then returned to Parliament.

Hungarian demonstrators on Friday — Photo: MTI

Some of the crowd, including protesters wearing masks, pelted different objects at the riot police that formed several lines on the steps of Parliament to protect the building.

After repeated calls to stop the action, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and arrested three men, police.hu said.

Police noted that during Wednesday and Thursday demonstrations 14 officers had been injured.

Pécs

In another development, anti-government protesters staged a torchlight demonstration in Pécs, in southern Hungary. Addressing the crowd, independent lawmaker Akos Hadhazy said that “now it is the time for action rather than speeches to destroy the house of cards built by the government.”

December 15, 2018

Hungarian Police arrest 51 protesters over past 2 days, 14 policemen were injured

In the wake of demonstrations in Budapest on Wednesday and Thursday, police put 51 people under arrest, the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) said on Friday.

Wednesday’s demonstration resulted in 35 arrests and 13 were taken into custody, while 16 arrests were made at Thursday’s protest.

One man was suspected of an infraction while another 15 people were suspected of a criminal offense.

Meanwhile, on the first day nine policemen were injured, while on the second five were hurt.

Fully eight police cars were damaged by protesters, the statement said.

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) called on the police to release anyone who was “baselessly arrested” during Wednesday and Thursday’s demonstrations.

Gergely Arató, DK’s deputy group leader, told a news conference on Friday that police had wrongfully apprehended several peaceful protesters as well as some passers-by who had not attended the demonstrations.

He also slammed the police for using tear gas and pepper spray without giving prior warning.

DEMONSTRATORS, POLICE CLASH NEAR THE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT – PHOTOS

December 14, 2018

Hungarian house speaker mulls stricter house rules after demonstrations in parliament

Disciplinary rules in parliament may be stepped up in the wake of this week’s demonstrations over the amendments to overtime regulations, Speaker of Parliament László Kövér told Inforadio late on Thursday night.

On Wednesday, parliament voted to raise the upper threshold for annual overtime from 250 to 400 hours. The opposition blocked the house speaker’s dais and obstructed proceedings with loud whistling and jeering in an attempt to thwart the vote. Later that day, demonstrators against the regulation clashed with police on Kossuth Square near Parliament. Check out photos, read more HERE.

Kövér said in the interview that

they are looking into making house disciplinary rules stricter as those in effect “do not seem to be a strong enough deterrent”.

He said that the opposition had resorted to “mindless disorderly conduct verging on anarchy as a standard tactic”. “So in this case, it should at least hurt,” he said.

What happened in the assembly chamber was in no way different from the demonstrations outside Parliament, Kövér insisted, where protesters clashed with police on Wednesday and Thursday night.

At the protests, nine police officers were injured and at least one person taken into custody, Interior Minister Sándor Pintár said in a briefing on Thursday night. Read more HERE.

Kövér has proposed fines of 400,000-600,000 forints (EUR 1,235-1,850) to be paid by Socialist lawmakers Bertelan Tóth, Ildikó Borbély Bangó, Tamás Harangozó, Ágnes Kunhalmi, Sándor Szabó and Bence Tordai (Párbeszéd), and László Varju (Democratic Coalition). The speaker’s proposal must be approved by the Parliament.

December 14, 2018

Demonstrators, police clash near the Hungarian Parliament – PHOTOS

Protesters again took to the streets in Budapest to demonstrate against the “slave law” on Thursday evening. The demonstration started peacefully but police later responded to aggressive protestors with teargas.

MTI correspondents reported from the site that several protesters were wearing masks despite the organisers asking participants at the start of the event not to cover their faces. The demonstration was announced by the Free University and Students Trade Union student groups.

The crowd started moving from Kossuth Square near Parliament at 6pm and crossed over to Buda on Margaret Bridge where they marched along the riverbank and returned to Pest over Chain Bridge.

The crowd stopped in front of the prosecutor’ office in Markó Street and chanted “we demand free courts!” before moving back to Kossuth Square in front of Parliament where they almost completely filled the square. Some of the participants were holding Hungarian and European Union flags, as well as flags of the opposition Momentum, Jobbik, LMP and Parbeszed parties.

Police formed several lines on the steps of the Parliament to protect the building.

The police chief said that police have been instructed to wear protective gear, including body shields and helmets.

December 13, 2018

Orbán cabinet: The demonstration in Budapest was ‘illegitimate’

The demonstration in Budapest on Wednesday night against parliament’s changes to overtime regulations were “illegitimate”, where “aggressive political activists” also participated, Gergely Gulyás, the Head of the Prime Minister’s Office, told a regular press conference on Thursday.

Earlier on Wednesday,

parliament voted to extend the period employers may account overtime for the purpose of calculating wages and rest days from twelve months to three years, and to raise the upper threshold for annual overtime from 250 to 400 hours.

Regarding the opposition blocking the house speaker’s dais and obstructing proceedings with loud whistling and shouting in a bid to thwart the vote, Gulyás said that they “made themselves ridiculous”.

The ruling majority preserved parliament’s dignity by ensuring lawful and constitutional operations, he said.

The legality of the parliamentary voting system, which some opposition lawmakers seemed to cast doubt on during the protest, is beyond any reasonable doubt, he said.

Regarding street demonstrations against the overtime regulations later that day, Gulyás said that the right to free association was enshrined in the constitution. However, it should be practiced peacefully and within the legal limits, he said. Read more about the demonstration and check out photos videos HERE.

Gulyás said that Wednesday’s protests, where the crowd filled Kossuth Square in front of Parliament and threw objects at the police cordon, was “illegitimate”. Among the participants there were aggressive political activists, including members of American financier “George Soros’s organisations”, he insisted.

Some of the demonstrators “showed open hatred for Christians”, Gulyás added.

So far, the police have arrested 34 people, and 5 police officers suffered injuries during the protests, he said.

Concerning the new labour amendment, Gulyás said that “contrary to what the opposition says, any overtime work will only be done on a voluntary basis” and insisted that the legal maximum for overtime did not exceed “the practice of other European countries”. He said that employers would be obliged to settle payments for overtime work each month and added that suggestions of a six-day working week “are lies”.

Answering a question, Gulyás said that the government had not discussed the overtime regulations with any company. The new rules have not been met with “any tangible resistance from society”, the only protest coming from the opposition “which now throws away the basic rules of democracy” and which is “more and more aggressive as its support is dwindling”, he said.

Concerning a new law on administrative courts, Gulyás said that the bill’s passage on Wednesday was a “significant achievement”, and added that both lawyers and academics supported the legislation. The law “contains necessary guarantees” in terms of the rule of law and excludes any possibility of political influence, he insisted. The new administrative courts will operate “independently but within a unified judicial system”, he said.

Answering a question concerning two of Viktor Orbán’s body guards entering parliament’s assembly hall on Wednesday, Gulyás said that the prime minister is a “highly protected dignitary” and “since he was put in physical danger by the opposition it would be difficult to condemn the behaviour of those protecting him”.

Regarding the issue of migrant visas which the European Parliament accepted on Tuesday, Gulyas said that the measure enhanced the risk of terrorist attacks similar to the shooting in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The visa would allow asylum seekers to enter the EU so they can submit their requests for asylum.

The decision “lacks common sense”, and the Hungarian government rejects it, Gulyas said. The fact that the resolution was rejected once in the EP and then re-submitted with “fake amendments” so that the “pro-migration majority” could vote in favour, paints a sad picture of European democracy, he said. Instead, the body should announce that migration has to be stopped.

Gulyás also said that the government’s national security cabinet had decided to step up patrols in Budapest and in other cities, as well as to deploy armoured vehicles to secure major Christmas fairs. “The government has taken all measures to ensure that Christmas preparations in public areas are undisturbed,” he said.

Concerning the EU’s next seven-year budget, on the agenda of the community’s summit starting on Thursday, Gulyás said the government was disappointed that “the draft focuses on migration and border management”. “Migration should not be managed but stopped,” he went on to say.

On the subject of Brexit, Gulyás said

the Hungarian government was interested in a “orderly British departure” and said that if the European Council approved such a framework, Hungary would support it.

SCANDAL IN THE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT! ORBÁN HAILS “SLAVE LAW”, OPPOSITION PROTESTS

December 13, 2018

Opposition protests against labour amendment: police have used tear gas, two officers were injured – PHOTOS, VIDEOS

Supporters of the opposition parties gathered in front of Parliament on Wednesday afternoon to protest against changes to the labour code adopted earlier in the day.

The protesters, many of whom chanted “down with the government”, marched from the Parliament building to Margaret Bridge and then on to ruling Fidesz headquarters near the City Park. Two demonstrators climbed on a balcony, while others attempted to enter the building.

The demonstration in front of the Fidesz building ended at 7pm, but participants went back to Parliament. By 9pm the crowd filled Kossuth Square in front of the building, and threw objects at the police cordon.

According to a police report, two officers were injured when they were sprayed with gas by a protester.

Earlier on Wednesday, parliament voted to extend the period employers may account overtime for the purpose of calculating wages and rest days from twelve months to three years, and to raise the upper threshold for annual overtime from 250 to 400 hours.

Budapest police said that the demonstrators have become more aggressive, provoking the officers and pelting eggs, beer cans and sound grenades at them. Although the commander ordered the officials to put on protective gear, five of them have been injured. To halt the aggressive crowd, police have used tear gas.

Some protesters tried to enter the Parliament Building but the officers thwarted the attempt.

Another group of demonstrators marched to the Chain Bridge and blocked traffic, Budapest police said.

Opposition protests against labour amendment (adds clashes) — Photo: MTI

SCANDAL IN THE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT! ORBÁN HAILS “SLAVE LAW”, OPPOSITION PROTESTS

scandal in the parliament — Photo: facebook.com/SzabóTímea

Parliament on Wednesday voted to extend the period employers may account overtime for the purpose of calculating wages and rest days from twelve months to three years, and to raise the upper threshold for annual overtime from 250 to 400 hours, read more HERE.

Photo: MTI

December 13, 2018

Trade unions protest over proposed overtime regulations – PHOTOS, VIDEOS

Trade unions protest over proposed overtime regulations Budapest

Trade unions mounted a protest on Saturday in central Budapest against the planned change to the labour code that envisages increasing annual overtime from 250 hours to 400 hours, among other measures.

László Kordas, head of the Hungarian Trade Union Confederation, told the sizable crowd that the trade unions were working to improve working conditions and therefore they wanted the planned labor code changes to be ditched. He also vowed that activists would block roads across the nation from Monday.

Kossuth Square was sealed by police, but demonstrators managed to get past a line of officers and shouted anti-government slogans. Demonstrators also carried trade union banners and blew whistles.

demonstration Budapest Hungary — Photo: MTI

The demonstrators had gathered at the Jászai Mari Square on the Pest side of the city and proceeded to Nyugati Railway Station. The crowd’s final destination was Kossuth Lajos Square in front of Parliament.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-xeBfc4k2A

Last week, the bill’s proponents inserted changes to their original proposals, namely any overtime per year up to 150 hours above the 250 hour threshold “voluntarily entered into” must be concluded with a written agreement between employers and employee.

The bill amendments proposed by Fidesz MPs Lajos Kósa, Kristóf Szatmáry and Gábor Bányai also state that collective bargaining covers 300 hours of overtime, and 100 hours above that is possible only if there’s a written agreement between the employer and employee.

Also, another change proposed to be written into Hungary’s labour code is that an employer will not have the right to fire an employee if they are unwilling to agree to extra overtime. Read more HERE.

The Socialist Party’s leader, Bertalan Tóth, told a press conference last week that the bill’s aim was to address the country’s labour shortage by forcing Hungarians to work more. He accused the government of making a “secret pact” with multinational companies to this end. He dismissed the ruling party’s insistence that overtime would be voluntary, adding that vulnerable workers would be forced to serve their employer’s interests. “The Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance will take all necessary steps to mobilise worker resistance,” he said, adding that its members planned to attend the Saturday demonstration.

Trade unions protest over proposed overtime regulations — Photo: MTI

If the bill is accepted, the parties will turn to President János Áder and ask him to initiate a constitutional review, he said.

Párbeszéd co-leader Tímea Szabó said a popular vote may be needed to thwart the “slave law”. The bill would open the door to a six-day week “without payment”, she said.

Szabó said the shortage of skilled labour was due to hundreds of thousands of young Hungarians leaving the country during Fidesz rule.

Kordas said “a strange kind of authoritarian capitalism” had emerged in the country, which had taken away the “savings, rights and even the lives” of employees.

József Szilágyi, co-head of the Liga unions group, castigated the government for legislating unilaterally without any meaningful social dialogue beforehand. He called for effective dialogue between government, employers and unions.

Tibor Mezei, head of the union representing employees of the foreign ministry, said that Hungary now had a labour shortage and the government was addressing this problem by increasing working hours and overtime. “But this is not a good solution,” he said.

Tamás Székely, deputy head of the trade union confederation VDSZ, chastised lawmakers for showing a lack of care for families.

“They think 400 hours of overtime is fine and it’s okay to pay three years afterwards,” he said.

Slogans of banners held aloft by protesters read:

“Together against the slavery law!”; “When dictatorship is a fact, revolution is a duty! “;” We won’t be Europe’s China!”.

According to the organisers, the demonstrators filled the whole of Alkotmány Street leading to the square in front of Parliament.

At the end of the demonstration, which was accompanied by a strong police presence, MTI reporters witnessed a man run to the stage and shout:

“Occupy Kossuth Square!”

The crowd managed to break through the police lines and stormed Kossuth Square. The police then formed a line of defence at the steps of Parliament. The protesters continued their chants there, but no violence occurred and about 20-30 minutes later crowd gathered in Kossuth Square started to disperse.

Photo: MTI

December 8, 2018