demonstration

Demonstration held in Budapest for the dismantling of the ‘bailiff mafia’

andrás jámbor demonstration budapest

A demonstration organised by the Szikra (Spark) Movement was held in front of the Budapest Municipal Court on Tuesday afternoon to demand the abolishment of the “bailiff mafia” and support for the “victims of debt collection procedures”.

Párbeszéd lawmaker András Jámbor, and a representative of Szikra, said the movement wanted a transparent debt collection regime, urging the introduction of a public electronic database.

He called for investigations aimed at uncovering potential abuses “since debt collection became a for-profit process”, saying that any abuses warranted compensation.

Jámbor called for an equality of rights that applied “not just to the powerful”, but also those who have found themselves in trouble because of the crisis.

He said a new debt collection law was needed because the existing debt collection regime “can’t be called fair or democratic”, arguing that bailiffs could be appointed for money.

Bernadett Bakos, a lawmaker of opposition LMP, said ruling Fidesz represented the “capitalist class” against the interests of the Hungarian people.

She said former chief bailiff György Schadl had “preyed on those stuck at the edge of a cliff, and made billions”.

The speakers and protesters walked from the court building to Parliament, where Jámbor said he will again submit his proposals aimed at reforming the debt collection regime.

Violent clashes between police and protesters in Budapest

Budapest teacher demonstration

“An aggressive crowd of few hundred people unceasingly and violently” attempted to break through police lines in a coordinated manner following a student protest in Budapest on Friday evening, the Budapest police headquarters said on its website.

Police checked the identity documents of 15 people and filed reports against two for violent behaviour against an officer, the statement said on Saturday. Police showed “great patience” and acted in a lawful, professional and proportionate way, it added. The statement confirmed information announced at a press conference late on Friday that two people were apprehended for an alleged violent act against an officer.

The Budapest police has initiated an administrative investigation for abuse of the right of assembly and violations linked to the use of pyrotechnical devices. Investigators will carry out further analysis of recordings made at the unlawful assembly, it said. After the pre-announced student protest ended on Friday, a group of people moved from Oktogon to Heroes’ Square after 7pm, police said. They provoked officers verbally at first and later also physically, pushing them and throwing objects at them, including beer cans, plastic bottles, smoke canisters and large metal screws, the statement said.

Police repeatedly instructed them over loudspeakers to stop their unlawful action. Despite the fact that the law on police would have allowed the use of means of coercion, police showed restraint and used only bodily force to hold back “the violent participants of the unlawful assembly”, the statement added.

The original march:

PHOTOS, VIDEOS: Anti-government demonstration in Budapest, clashes with police

Budapest teacher demonstration

Student organisations held a demonstration in Budapest on Friday, protesting for wage hikes for teachers, and called for the withdrawal of planned changes to their employment status and other planned regulations.

Huge demonstration in Budapest

Protesters marched from Kossuth Square in front of Parliament to Oktogon Square, carrying banners reading “History is written by youth”, “We also have a heartbeat” and “All power belongs to the people”, and waving EU, Hungarian flags, as well as those representing the teachers’ movements. Flags of the Tanítanék movement and teachers’ trade unions were also to be seen. Opposition politicians Ákos Hadházy (independent), Bence Tordai and Tíma Szabó of Párbeszéd, András Fekete-Győr, Anna Orosz and Miklós Hajnal of Momentum were also joined the protest, among others.

Sándor Pintér, Hungary’s interior and education minister. With some modifications Photo: facebook.com/pedagogusok.d.szakszervezete

Clashes with police

Budapest police (BRFK) have reported that a small group of demonstrators had tried to disrupt the demo. After the demonstration, a smaller group marched to the headquarters of ruling Fidesz near Heroes’ Square, where police have cordoned off both sidewalks. BRFK reported that some protesters were trying to “intentionally provoke” police. Participants of the “unlawful protest” have tried to push through the police line and threw bottles and other objects, while verbally provoking them, the statement said.

Commenting on the demonstration, ruling Fidesz said the party was fully on board with the notion of a wage hike for teachers. “Leftist politicians earn 5-6 million a month to stop teachers getting 800,000 forints,” the party said in a statement. Had Hungary received the EU funds it is “entitled to”, teachers would have already had their raise, the party said. Leftist politicians drawing large salaries are working in the EU to block those resources, the statement said.

 

Hungarian policeman: I was fired for my political views

Student protest

A former Hungarian policeman was also arrested after the latest demonstrations for better education in Hungary. Péter Csőgör is convinced that he was fired for his political views and work on anti-corruption matters.

As we have recently written, student organisations held demonstrations against planned legislation changing teachers’ employment status. During the demonstrations, several participants were arrested. Among them was a former Hungarian policeman, who was recently fired, 444.hu reports.

Péter Csőgör, a former police investigator was also arrested after the latest demonstrations against the Hungarian government, where the police used tear gas against the demonstrators, for example against a 17-year-old student.

He was taken to the same custody where he previously detained suspected criminal patients, an experience he called “exhilarating”. Despite his hardships, he is not angry with the Hungarian police.

“I am not angry at the police; I am angry at the police officers who are involved. The police, especially the part of the police force that I belonged to, is composed of honest, decent professionals,” he told 444.hu.

“But this is the other side of the police force, which is useless for anything. Máté Hidász (the 17-year-old demonstrator) was beaten in such a way that he was completely passive, and I do not think that this is behaviour worthy of a police officer.”

A policeman fired for sniffing corruption

As a former triathlon racer and official, Csőgör holds a close connection with the sport which was under public scrutiny in Hungary after alleged corruption at the body.

“In 2019, I filed a lawsuit against the then-leaders of the federation, including Béla Bátorfi, known as Viktor Orbán’s dentist, and his adviser László Szűcs, because I suspected that they had misappropriated part of the billion-euro state subsidy based on strange financial transactions,” said Csőgör.

He said he has found “the necessary evidence” for his case, but the Hungarian Tax and Customs Administration hasn’t done anything about it. “In December 2021, when the police did not know about the charge, I received a reward for my outstanding professional work,” said Csőgör before internal investigations started against him which led to his dismissal.

He was not only fired for “openly admitting my political opinions” but was also sued by the companies mentioned in his original lawsuit and was ordered to pay more than HUF 20 million (EUR 54 thousand).

“I appealed to the Constitutional Court. I do not have much hope in the Hungarian legal system, but it is necessary to take the case to Strasbourg,” he said about his latest plans.

Recently, the Hungarian police announced a major rule change about the speeding limits on Hungarian roads.

Tear gas, breaking of barriers: teacher and student protesters scuffle with police – VIDEO

protesters

A demonstration was held in Budapest on Monday in protest against draft legislation changing the employment status of teachers.

Protesters marched from downtown Kálvin Square to the building of the interior ministry chanting slogans such as “The status law is revenge law”, “General strike”, “Pintér resign” referring to the interior minister, and “police state is no rule of law”.

In front of the interior ministry on Roosevelt Square, Erzsébet Nagy of teachers’ union PDSZ called on the government to withdraw the draft, “as it aims not to improve education but to discipline teachers”.

Instead, the government should come up with legislation in line with its commitments to the European Union during negotiations on accessing its recovery and resilience funding, “which would improve public education and money would also flow in”, Nagy said.

Nagy noted that “all the large groups of the European Parliament” had turned to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a letter, asking that the EC put pressure on the government to withdraw the legislation.

After the demonstration in front of the ministry, some demonstrators marched to the prime minister’s office in the Castle District.

Protesters attempted to dismantle the cordon around Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s residence, but were prevented by police. Several people were taken away and tear gas was fired.

The crowd was repeatedly pushed against the police cordon and the cordon. “Orbán is a Russian glove puppet”, “Orbán, Lázár, Habony, disgusting snot”, “down with the police state”, “This is not child protection”, they chanted.

The Budapest police headquarters said late on Monday that an unregistered protest had been held at the prime minister’s office where many of the protesters acted aggressively with police who used tear gas against them.

The demonstration ended at 9 PM, Telex reported.

As we wrote earlier on Monday, opposition Párbeszéd also held a protest in front of the ministry. Details: Sit-in protest against the status law in front of the Ministry of Interior

Sit-in protest against the status law in front of the Ministry of Interior

protest education hungary

Civilians organised an event entitled “0th Hour for Education” in front of the Ministry of the Interior building on Monday morning at 7:30 am.

Participants, including a number of politicians, teachers and students, silently protested on the spot, blocking the entrance to the ministry. As the demonstration had not been announced, the police asked the demonstrators to leave the area and ordered them to stop.

Ministry: Teachers set to receive further pay hikes

New draft legislation supporting the careers of teachers serves to improve the quality of public education, the interior ministry said on Monday, adding teachers could expect further wage hikes and streamlined advancement.

The ministry reacted to a statement by teachers’ union PDSZ and protests organised by the body on Monday.

The ministry said it has been in talks on the new draft legislation with the National Teachers’ Chamber and the National Public Education Council for a month and a half. The bills will be submitted to the government once the consultations are concluded, the statement said.

The draft proposals are aimed at establishing a new career model for teachers and improving the quality of public education, the ministry said. Children come first in education, it said, adding that teachers could expect further wage increases and streamlined advancement. Those who do a better job teaching and focus more on the children can earn more money, they said.

The ministry said it was “regrettable” that PDSZ, which “barely represents one percent of teachers”, continued to “act as a political organisation of the left, and organises strikes and demonstrations instead of being a professional partner in improving education for children, parents’ satisfaction and the situation of teachers together”.

The statement noted that the government raised teachers’ wages by 10 percent from January, but will bump them up to 21 percent retroactively “as soon as Hungary receives the European Union funding it is entitled to”. Wages may increase by 25 percent in 2024 and by up to 30 percent in 2025, compared with 2021 levels, it said.

The government is committed to having teachers’ wages reach 80 percent of the average wage of degree holders by 2025, it said.

As we wrote today, there is room for improvement in the school system, but do not underestimate, PM Orbán said. Details HERE.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Demonstrations held in Budapest against the Russian aggression

Demonstrations

Several opposition movements and a political party held demonstrations yesterday condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine on the first anniversary of its breakout. Below, you may read what happened and check out some photos and a video. Moreover, Budapest’s famous Fisherman’s Bastion shone in the colours of the Ukrainian national flag in the evening.

Budapest demonstration with Mayor Karácsony

Budapest stands by Ukraine, by peace, solidarity and Euro-Atlantic cooperation, the city’s mayor said on Friday, marking the Ukraine war’s first anniversary, adding that standing by Ukraine was a matter of faith and conviction, dictated by humanity and morals. “There will be peace only if Ukraine wins,” Gergely Karácsony said, opening a poster exhibition. “And peace will be brought about if Ukraine’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity is restored for which Euro-Atlantic cooperation and solidarity are essential.”

“The war is there, in the eyes, in the look…” he said. Karácsony said his message to politicians who “still preach about a ceasefire, talk back and forth about sanctions and business interests, who simply ignore solidarity and rub shoulders with aggressors” was that “you should be brave not only in words, but in your deeds”. “Have the courage to go to Kyiv and Bucha, and look people there in the eye! And if that is too much to ask, you just come out here, and look in the eyes … and then feel ashamed!”

The Budapest mayor, of the opposition, said “Hungary is not synonymous with the government that has lost its moral compass, as well as its allies”. “We haven’t lost our moral compass, neither have we lost our friends. We cannot accept that Hungary again stands on the wrong, ‘evil’ side of history.” He noted that Budapest had already provided accommodation to some 50,000 Ukrainian refugees and distributed 300,000 meal portions to them. István Balog, the charge d’affaires of Ukraine to Budapest, said 24 February, 2022 was one of the most tragic days ever for Ukrainian people. In the moment Russia attacked Ukraine, “our hearts got frozen and the open wounds we have suffered ever since could only heal if we get rid of the terrible evil that slyly attacked our land,” he said.

Here is Karácsony’s Facebook post and some photos of the event:

Furthermore, in the evening, Budapest’s emblematic Fisherman’s Bastion shone in the colours of the Ukrainian national flag: blue and yellow. Here is a photo:

Momentum Movement demonstration in the evening

Hungary’s second greatest opposition party, the Momentum Movement, held its demonstration at the Russian embassy in Budapest. There were a lot of Ukrainian nationals taking part. Jaroszlava Hartányi, the chairwoman of the Budapest Ukrainian nationality self-government, said there would only be peace if the Russians left Ukraine. Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony added he felt ashamed when he travelled to Kyiv because of the Hungarian government. “You are saving Hungary’s honour”, he told the protesters, 24.hu wrote.

Katalin Cseh, an MEP of Momentum, said there was another Hungary and PM Viktor Orbán did not dare to go to Ukraine after the outbreak of the war. Gábor Iványi, head of the Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship, said there would be no peace until PM Orbán and President Putin leave politics. Ferenc Gelencsér, the chairman of the Momentum Movement, highlighted that there would only be peace if the Russian soldiers left Ukraine.

HERE is a video of the demonstration.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: pro-Russia demonstration held in Budapest with a surprising participant

Russia demonstration Budapest Hungary Russian flags

“Peace with Russia!” That was the motto of a pro-Russia demonstration held in Budapest’s popular Nyugati Square. “Down with the war! Down with the inflation!”, other banners went on. Here are some photos and what the speakers talked about in the company of red tents and a Russian flag.

The event’s principal organiser was the so-called Hungarian Workers’ Party, (Magyar Munkáspárt) the successor party of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party (Magyar Szocialista Munkáspárt), ruling Hungary in the Cold War era. Gyula Thürmer, the party’s head, said they were fed up with the war, the expensive bread, and fuel and that the government deceives the people, index.hu wrote.

There were not too many people in his audience, probably because of the lack of interest in such a cause and the sub-zero temperatures. Although many Hungarians do not agree with Western policies regarding Ukraine or Russia, a pro-Russian demonstration in the heart of Budapest seems to be a bit of a stretch for most of them.

Here is a video:

Thürmer said liberal parties (DK, Momentum) want war, while the workers’ party promotes peace. He also acknowledged the so-called “security guarantees” Russia needed. Thürmer added that in the case of Zelenskiy’s victory, the fate that awaited the Transcarpathian Hungarians was merciless. Meanwhile, nobody should be afraid of Russia because Moscow will not attack Hungary, he highlighted. Thürmer wants to send home all NATO soldiers from Hungary and would say no to Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession.

And here are some photos:

A speaker, Eszter Fórizs, thanked Putin that he did not attack earlier.

There was a Russian flag at the demonstration. Interestingly, one of the two men holding it was the MP candidate of the radical-nationalist Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland) in 2022, telex.hu wrote. It seems that in the matter of “peace,” the two opposite sides of the political spectrum found each other.

Read also: US Ambassador: Orbán still pushes Putin-backed policies

Europe’s greatest battery plant in Debrecen criticized by locals, opposition – UPDATED

Battery manufacturing car China NIO

Opposition Párbeszéd is proposing a day of debate in parliament dedicated to the government strategy for battery production and the building of battery plants.

Party group leader Tímea Szabó told an online press conference on Tuesday that the day of debate would be an excellent opportunity for the government to “reveal its true colours” on the issue, present its arguments for the building of battery plants, and inform the public about it.

She added that Párbeszéd, as a green party, is firmly against the building of more battery plants. Hungary should instead progress towards the transition to a green economy, she said.

Several local organisations have been protesting against the plan. People spoke out against it on public forums and took part in demonstrations. However, the mayor and the Fidesz majority of the local government would stick to the original plan. According to Helló Vidék, the plant of the Chinese CATL will be Europe’s greatest. Experts say that the legal framework and the environmental protection rules are the same as in Germany. But authorities did not implement them in Hungary, just like that happened in the case of the Samsung manufacturer in Göd, where they did not measure pollution as prescribed.

Debrecen mayor: Chinese battery maker’s Germany plant complies with all regulations

Chinese battery maker CATL is operating its plant in Arnstadt, in central Germany, with maximum compliance with all regulations, the mayor of Debrecen where the company plans to build a plant said after returning from a visit on Tuesday. The Debrecen City Hall cited Laszlo Papp, of ruling Fidesz-KDNP, in a statement as saying that they had not seen any source of danger during the visit. Papp and deputy mayor for economic development Lajos Barcs, also of Fidesz-KDNP, were showed around by CATL director general Jason Chen and European director Matthias Zentgraf in the plant which was opened last week and which uses the same technology as the plant to be built in Debrecen.

Papp said they saw in the Thuringian city a flagship project of European green transition. “The plant represents the highest technological standards of the 21st century,” he said. “We have seen no polluting materials or sources of hazard whatsoever, and the plant operated at maximum compliance with German safety and labour protections requirements,” he said. The Hungarian officials also met Arnstadt Mayor Frank Spilling.

“Europe is clearly building on battery production in terms of the green transition which will determine its future,” the City Hall said citing Papp. “It is no accident that German politicians, including left-wing and green politicians, unanimously view the CATL plant in Arnstadt as a flagship project”, he added.

iváncsa battery factory sk
Read alsoBattery plant construction protested against in Hungary

Opposition: Hungarian government penalising protesting teachers

Teacher demonstration Hungary January

The opposition LMP party said a government decree penalising teachers who have mounted protests was both legally and morally unfounded, and it demanded its withdrawal.

Teachers can be penalised for their current actions at any time until the end of the school year under the decree, the party’s deputy group leader Antal Csárdi told a press briefing on Friday, adding that the decree was contrary to the rule of law and a departure from the labor code. He said this deprivation of rights was more serious than the restriction of the right to strike, adding that the aim of the decree was to intimidate teachers who spoke out against poor teaching conditions and their hardships making a living.

Noting headline inflation of 24.5 percent in December and a 14 percent rise in the minimum wage, he said that by comparison a salary increase of just 10 percent was awarded to teachers.

The PSZ teacher union has claimed the government “has backed down” in connection with civil disobedience by teachers from Szentgotthard.

Most of the teaching staff, 29 teachers, “with their united stand proved that sacking an entire teaching staff when there is a big shortage of teachers does not work,” PSZ said in a statement on Friday, adding that it will join a strike announced by the PDSZ teacher union.

PSZ said it had promised to carry on protesting until the demands of teachers and the trade union are met, adding that they called on all education staff to participate in a one-week work stoppage starting on Jan. 23. The statement added: “What 2022 failed to solve, 2023 will!”

education hungary demonstration
Read alsoHungarian government: teachers’ average salary could rise to EUR 1,940 in three years

VIDEO: teachers booed the minister for education before consultation

Teachers booed the minister

Yesterday the Ministry of Interior organized a consultation between some school directors, teachers and government officials. Why not the Ministry for Education? That is because there is no such ministry in Hungary. Public education and higher education are in the interior ministry and the minister responsible for education is a former police officer who admitted during the consultation that he was a non-professional regarding education issues.

Before the consultation started, some teachers waited for the minister’s arrival in front of the venue. Sándor Pintér arrived in his van and got out but did not speak a word with the protesters. Here is the video:

Here is what happened during the talks

Interior ministry officials held talks with school and teachers’ union representatives on public education on Friday, the ministry said. The talks held at the ministry were attended by 373 staff members of state and church-run schools as well as one representative each from teachers’ unions, the ministry said in a statement, MTI said.

The consultation was addressed by 17 headmasters and two teachers, twelve of them from Budapest and seven from outside the capital. The meeting was also addressed by Bence Rétvári, the parliamentary state secretary, Zoltán Maruzsa, the state secretary for public education, Sándor Brassói, head of the Education Office, Gabriella Hajnal, head of the school operator Klebelsberg Centre, and Péter Horvéth, head of the National Teacher Association.

The meeting ended with a speech from Interior Minister Sándor Pintér. Those in attendance got the opportunity to submit questions in writing, most of which were answered on the spot by the minister. The remaining questions will be answered by the state secretariat for public education, the statement said.

The ministry said it will take what was said at the talks into consideration when formulating its proposals to develop public education.

No future without teachers
Read alsoTeachers’ union calls for all-round consultation with education professionals

Teachers’ union calls for all-round consultation with education professionals

No future without teachers

Teachers’ union PSZ has called on the government to set up a national education roundtable for consultations with all players of the sector.

In accordance with the demands of demonstrators for better conditions in education, the union is calling on the government to sit down with trade unions, professional associations, NGOs and representatives of students and parents. Education is a national issue, and the serious crisis can only be resolved with cross-sector cooperation, PSZ said in a statement on Monday. The government’s aims in current consultations have been “murky”, PSZ said.

The contents of a cabinet meeting on Saturday, attended by education state secretary Zoltán Maruzsa and national teachers’ association Péter Horváth, have not been disclosed to the public, it said. The government has also failed to appoint a commissioner to tackle the sector’s issues, PSZ said.

PSZ will continue to negotiate with the government as a member of the strike committee, but also calls for public, transparent and wide-reaching consultations, the statement said.

Protests will continue until the government sees those fighting for reforms as partners, the statement said.

iraq school novák katalin
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PHOTOS: “No money, no teaching”: students, parents, teachers protested in Budapest again

Protest Budapest education

A demonstration by students, teachers, parents and supporters was held in front of the public media MTVA headquarters in Budapest on Friday evening.

Participants at the event organised by the Unified Student Front and the Pala Movement demanded trustworthy and objective programming by the public media which they said failed to inform the public about the real situation of public education and disallowed them to express their opinion on the matter.

Student speakers said the MTVA headquarters was “a symbol of oppression and silence” and they smashed a television set with a hammer on a stage in front of the building.

The demonstrators gathered earlier in the day at Florian Square and marched to MTVA’s headquarters chanting

“Free country!”, “Free education”, “Pay our teachers” and “Silence is no order”.

Many of the demonstrators carried Hungarian and EU flags and flags symbolising chequered shirts, an outfit that has become associated with teacher demonstrations, as well as flags of the teachers’ unions PDSZ and PSZ.

They carried lit torches and demanded the resignation of the interior minister, who is at the helm of the ministry in charge of education.

Education protest Budapest
Read alsoPHOTOS: teachers, students and parents held a protest march in Budapest

noÁR: Hungarian education a common national issue, does not belong to the right or left

demonstration teachers

Organisations representing teachers’ interests and civilians held a demonstration in central Budapest on Saturday afternoon.

The protesters gathered at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences headquarters and a group marched to the nearby Interior Ministry building to submit a nine-point list of demands in the form of a petition, originally compiled by the Civil Public Education Platform organisation in October.

The demonstrators then moved to Kossuth Square near Parliament where students and teachers gave speeches and representatives of the United Students’ Front also addressed the crowd. Flags of teachers’ trade union PSZ, other professional interest representation organisations and Amnesty International were on display, as well as signs showing slogans of the series of demonstrations which started in September.

Greeting the participants in a video message, Graphisoft CEO Gábor Bojár, founder of the noÁR movement, said that education was a common national issue, which does not belong to the political Right or Left. He proposed that politicians should offer their 2022 salary increase to teachers.

The demonstrators expressed their support for a public dialogue to be launched by the government, the right to strike to be restored in public education, a dedicated ministry of public education to be set up and competitive wages to be introduced in the sector.

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PHOTOS: teachers, students and parents held a protest march in Budapest

Education protest Budapest

Teachers, students and parents held a protest march in Budapest on Friday evening demanding a wage increase for teachers and reforms in education.

The march was organised by members of the youth organisation United Students Front and it started from March 15 square as a continuation of the “live chain” protest held earlier in the day. The participants crossed Elisabeth Bridge and marched to Clark Ádám Square with police escort. Those in the front were carrying a banner that read “We are with our teachers” and chanted slogans including “No future without teachers”, “Strike is a basic right”, “We’ve had enough”, “Free country, free education” and “Silence is not order”.

Education protest Budapest
“Who will teach us to build a stadium?” One of the banners.
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd

Speakers addressing the crowd were students, stating that it was not sufficient to demand wage increase, but an education reform was also needed. They demanded that students’ financial circumstances should not influence the quality of education they can access.

Hungary student school
Read alsoShattering PHOTO shows how teachers disappear from Hungarian schools

They said they had already called on the public media to prepare news reports about their actions and give them a chance to express their views on television, and held a minute of silence as an expression of dissatisfaction.

Education protest Budapest
Protesters on the Margaret Bridge. Photo: MTI/Máthé Zoltán

The demands of the United Students Front were presented, including finding a solution to the problem of the teacher shortage, introducing changes to the curriculum, better conditions in schools, “paying attention to education”, restoring the right to strike and putting an end to segregation in schools. Following the speeches, a performance was presented to the participants which involved play money being thrown around, as an illustration of money being wasted by the government on unnecessary projects instead of being spent on education.

demonstration for teachers
Read alsoOctober 23 demonstration for education: here are the demands

Demonstration held in front of public media headquarters in Hungary

teacher demonstration

A demonstration organised by independent lawmaker Ákos Hadházy was held in front of the public media headquarters in Budapest on Friday evening.

The demonstration began with a minute of silence in honour of the revolutionaries of 1956.

Addressing the event, historian Krisztián Ungváry said “lies are not only told by spewing severe untruths” but also through questions, “fake national consultations, fake parties, a fake parliament and a thousand other means”.

Orsolya Varga, a teacher, said teachers had been deprived of their security, peace and freedom, which “have been replaced by lies, hate and intimidation”. She said it was now doubtful whether teachers could continue to make a living, adding that there was no future without teachers.

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Budapest-wide live protest for better education in Hungary

Demonstration Budapest

Demonstrations are taking place across the country over the current state of education. The aim is to improve the dignity of teachers. The most visible demonstration is in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, where teachers, parents and students are forming a chain of demonstrations stretching across the city.

Protests continue

Protests continued with the United Student Front in the front line. Thousands of teachers across the country are on strike Thursday morning, according to union officials. Along the downtown boulevard, the participants are forming a live line, hvg.hu reports.

The United Student Front, which organises the live chain, has four demands:

  • A solution to the teacher shortage!
  • A solution for the shortage of teachers’ teachers!
  • More livable conditions in schools!
  • Attention to education!

Katalin Törley, one of the participants of the Tanítanék movement, said at the press conference before the live demonstration that the protest has been going on for 2 months, but it must continue. People are on the streets in vain, but Prime Minister Viktor Orbán says nothing. “Everybody should put in the strongest possible shape that they can,” Törley said. Törley said more than 10,000 people have already paid into the strike fund, 444.hu reports.

budapest_christmas
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Zoltán Maruzsa, the state secretary in charge of public education has invited representatives of the strike committee of teachers’ unions for 7 November, a senior official of the union PDSZ said on Thursday.

Erzsébet Nagy spoke at a press conference held prior to a demonstration that began in Budapest. She said that simultaneously with the Budapest event, thousands of teachers rejected holding their classes across the country during the day and demonstrations were planned in front of 33 school district headquarters out of a total 60.

PDSZ has called a general teachers’ strike for 18 November, Nagy said.

The noÁr Movement has called for a general strike in solidarity with teachers. Áron Molnár, its founder, said education was “not an issue for just Left or Right, rural Hungary or the capital, liberals or conservatives, but a common, national cause”. He said “the ever growing crowd is now standing up not only for education, but for health care, welfare, and for all groups in society that this government has left in shallow water”.

demonstration for teachers
Read alsoOctober 23 demonstration for education: here are the demands

 

Demonstration Budapest
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
Demonstration Budapest
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
Demonstration Budapest
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
Demonstration Budapest
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
Demonstration Budapest
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
Demonstration Budapest
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd

October 23 demonstration for education: here are the demands

demonstration for teachers

It’s been just over a week since the last big protest for education in Budapest. There, it was announced that another demonstration would be organised on 23 October.

Students and teachers are protesting about the state of education and the extremely low salaries of teachers. Yesterday, the protesters started their rally at Kálvin Square at 4 PM and continued their march towards the University of Technology, Portfolio reported.

Yesterday’s demonstration was organised by the ADOM Student Movement and the Democratic Trade Union of Teachers (Pedagógusok Demokratikus Szakszervezete, PDSZ). The protest started at 4 PM at Kálvin Square under the title “Solidarity demonstration for our teachers”. “So many people have RSVP’d to our event that we had to choose a bigger, more symbolic venue,” they wrote on Facebook, after nearly 20,000 people showed interest in the event.

demonstration for teachers
Budapest, 23 October 2022.
Participants of the solidarity demonstration for teachers organised by the ADOM Student Movement and the Democratic Trade Union of Teachers (PDSZ) march on the Liberty Bridge, Budapest, 23 October 2022.
MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák

The protests intensified after five teachers from Kölcsey Ferenc High School were fired for taking part in civil disobedience actions and threatened other teachers with dismissal if they took part in such actions. Yesterday, the teachers’ union said it would again demand that the government immediately raise teachers’ salaries, settle the wages of teaching assistants, technical staff and vocational training staff, and make vocational training part of public education again.

Belmondo performed at the demonstration, followed by a number of speeches, and then a performance by the band Carson Coma.

Demands were also made by the United Student Front:

  1. A solution to the teacher shortage!
  2. Usable learning material!
  3. More livable conditions in schools!
  4. Give back the right to strike!
  5. Pay attention to education!

The Democratic Trade Union of Teachers is also demanding the reinstatement of teachers sacked for civil disobedience, the return of the right to strike, and an independent Ministry of Education alongside pay rises.

Erzsébet Nagy, a representative of the PDSZ, said that now they are fighting not only for higher teacher salaries and a reduction in teacher workload, but also against illegal employer measures. These are attempts to suppress discontent, she added. She drew attention to the fact that teachers are leaving the teaching profession one by one, and as a result the shortage of teachers has become unmanageable.    

“Everyone can see this, but the government is not lifting a finger,” she said.

gloria victis 1956 march 23October
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