Hungarian parliament

Grand renovation of Hungary’s Parliament in the works: A decade-long vision for modernisation

Budapest Parliament

The Hungarian Parliament, one of the country’s most iconic buildings, is set to undergo a comprehensive renovation. Tamás Wachsler, head of the Steindl Imre Programme, outlined the project’s details in an interview with InfoRádió, highlighting the extensive preparatory phase and long-term goals of modernisation. The entire process could take up to ten years to complete.

Preparatory work begins

The initial two-year phase will involve detailed surveys and structural assessments to evaluate the current state of the Parliament building, Wachsler told InfoRádió. This includes creating an inventory of architectural elements and scientific documentation of the building’s construction history. Specialists will also produce models of decorative features to determine their suitability for restoration. At the end of this phase, a design tender will be announced, providing clarity on technical specifications and potential costs. Final decisions on these matters will rest with the government before the actual planning stage begins, estimated to take another two years.

Modernisation and energy efficiency

A key objective of the renovation is to modernise the Parliament’s outdated infrastructure. The heating system, operational for over 120 years, will be replaced alongside the entire water and pipe network. Cooling systems, currently limited to localised solutions, will also be integrated. “Comprehensive mechanical modernisation is essential,” emphasised Wachsler, citing energy efficiency as a priority. The renovations aim to restore the original spatial structure of the Parliament while addressing safety concerns, such as conducting all security checks outside the building.

New home for Munkácsy’s masterpiece

One notable aspect of the project is the relocation of Mihály Munkácsy’s monumental painting, The Conquest (A honfoglalás). Currently displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts, the artwork will not return to its original Parliament setting due to limited public access. Instead, it will be showcased in a specially designed gallery in the Ministry of Agriculture’s building, ensuring optimal lighting and climate conditions for preservation.

A decade-long commitment

The Parliament’s reconstruction will require multiple government decisions at key milestones, including budgeting and contractor selection. Once these are finalised, lawmakers will temporarily relocate to the Ministry of Agriculture during the estimated four-year construction phase. While the full scope and timeline of the project remain subject to further planning and approvals, the initiative promises a modernised and more accessible Parliament, preserving its historic significance for future generations.

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Featured image: depositphotos.com

Gyurcsány calls on ruling party lawmakers to support call for early election

gyurcsány

Ferenc Gyurcsány, the leader of the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK), has sent a letter to lawmakers of the ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrat (KDNP) parties, asking them to support a call to bring forward the general election.

Gyurcsány said on Facebook that he would ask MPs: “Are you afraid of the Hungarian people? Do you support the call for an early election?”

In the letter also posted online, Gyurcsány said recent developments in Hungarian public life, politics and the economy “have unrevocably rocked the credibility of the sitting government and eroded its public support.”

He insisted the government had dismantled the system of democratic checks and balances in Hungary. “After the 2022 elections, it has become even clearer that, according to the spirit of the constitution, the government is acting unlawfully,” he said.

“Lawful governance is not the appearance of lawful actions but compliance with the will of the people as enshrined in law. The government broke the will of the people when it took over and dismantled the republic,” he said.

Gyurcsány said voters had not given the government a mandate “to strive to obtain exclusive power unconstitutionally”. “Only fair elections mirror the will of the people … and a government based on [unfair] elections is unlawful.”

Moreover, the government, he added, had failed to fulfil all its key promises, failing to maintain household utility price caps, to protect small and medium-sized enterprises and put Hungary’s economy back on its feet, he said.

He insisted that the Orban government was in the process of introducing “post-Communist Hungary’s most severe austerity package”, even as they were neglecting to tackle “skyrocketing inflation and fuel prices” and a decade-high public debt and a low-value forint.

“Hungary has been visited by an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis … we have been overtaken by the Czechs, Poles, Romanians and Bulgarians; we are now lagging behind in Europe,” the DK leader said.

“Apart from Hungarians, you have also betrayed our country’s network of allies. [Prime Minister] Viktor Orban is talking about Hungary’s neutrality in a global struggle but has actually taken the side of Russia and China against the interests of Europe, resulting in unprecedented distrust in Hungary’s government…”

Meanwhile, “all-encompassing corruption in Hungary and breaches of the rule of law” resulted in the country losing its access to EU funding worth 400 billion forints, Gyurcsány said. “Hungary has lost that money for good because of you,” he said in the letter. “What … could the country expect from another year and a half of governance by this majority?”

He said Hungary had an interest in a leadership with a credible democratic mandate, capable of making decisions with wide social support. “The current situation is untenable, and every day you continue to govern only adds to the hardships in Hungary.”

“Let the people decide! That’s why we propose that parliament announcing its own dissolution on March 1. The time until then will be an opportunity to create the legal and political foundation for fair elections. In view of all that, I ask whether you are afraid of the Hungarian people, and support early elections? Hungary is awaiting your answer,” Gyurcsány wrote.

As we wrote earlier, opposition Tisza leader Péter Magyar called for early elections.

read also: Will early election be held in April in Hungary? PM Orbán’s main challenger in “campaign mode” – UPDATED: Think-tank, NVI

Hungarian Speaker Kövér expresses condolences over tragic Montenegro shooting

Montenegro Cetinje shooting

Speaker of Parliament László Kövér has sent his condolences in connection with Wednesday’s shooting in Cetinje, Montenegro, and expressed his sympathies to the victims’ relatives.

In a message sent to Andrija Mandic, the speaker of Montenegro’s parliament, Kövér said he was deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the mass shooting in Cetinje, in which twelve people, including two children, lost their lives. “The news of the senseless massacre that claimed many victims has plunged Cetinje and all of Montenegro into mourning.” “I trust that Cetinje and the country will be able to find calm and process this devastating act as soon as possible,” Kövér wrote.

“Less than two and a half years after the horrific massacre that took place in our capital, Cetinje, we are once again witnessing the murder of innocent people, our relatives, neighbors, friends, fellow citizens. In this difficult moment, Montenegro is united in pain, because the pain of Cetinje is the pain of all of us, and the sorrow of the families of those killed in the capital is also our sorrow. The only way to be stronger than this tragedy that struck the heart of Montenegro tonight is to preserve peace within ourselves and to share it with others,” Mandic wrote on X (Twitter).

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Hungarian Parliament’s final session brings key amendments to the constitution, election act, and more

In the Hungarian parliament, Fidesz, the governing party with a two-thirds majority, has introduced several important changes to the lawmakers:

Hungarian Parliament vote on law establishing 2025 budget

MPs approved legislation for establishing the 2025 budget in a vote in parliament on Tuesday.

The law includes several measures in various fields and was approved by lawmakers with a vote of 134 for, 47 against and 8 abstentions.

The law removes the legal institution of special economic zones from the statutory regulation as of January 1. The competent local municipalities will once again perform local government and state administration tasks related to the areas.

The February date for the payment of the bonus thirteenth monthly pension has been raised to a statutory level.

The law imposes a HUF 1.2m annual threshold limit for subscriptions of baby bonds on Start accounts in a calendar year per person.

A provision that the government sector balance must be determined in such a way that its deficit does not exceed 3pc of GDP has been removed from the stability act. The new regulations state that the government sector balance must be decided in accordance with the Basic Law and European Union law.

The law authorises the government to decide on the alienation of state-owned properties next to national core network railway tracks in the national economic interest, or on the establishment of land use rights on them, or on the creation of undivided common ownerships.

It was also determined that business associations that develop and operate real estate that is part of the national core network railway track, in which the state’s direct or indirect share reaches 10pc, will be considered to be included in state property.

Amendments on higher education, family affairs, culture

Hungarian Parliament approved amendments to laws on higher education, family affairs and culture with 134 votes in support, 17 against and 39 abstentions.

In line with the amendments, married students who have children will be eligible for state scholarships until the age of 30, and tuition-paying students will be transferred to state scholarships if they get married and have children.

Students returning to Hungary after taking out a student loan abroad will have the option to repay their loan through the Hungarian student loan system.

Students raising children aged under 14 will be allowed to choose distance learning.

Several foundations operating universities will receive properties free of charge.

The state can operate museums in the future, the local council, or by non-profit economic organisations owned by the state or local council.

The Fudan Hungary University Foundation will change its name to Tudas-Ter Foundation, and it will be tasked with implementing a student quarter dormitory development program under the arrangements of university cooperation and to develop student welfare services.

read also: Hungarian MPs decide on important tax laws

Lawmakers tighten criminal code’s statute of limitations rules

Parliament voted unanimously to tighten the criminal code’s rules on the statute of limitations.

In line with the amendment approved with 190 votes in favour, zero tolerance will apply regardless of the age of the perpetrator, and the statute of limitations will be eliminated in cases of serious crimes punishable by life imprisonment.

Current regulations stipulate that the maximum prison sentence for perpetrators aged under 16 is 10 years, and for perpetrators aged between 16 and 18 years it is 15 years. Additionally, there is currently a statute of limitations in force in such cases, and the crimes lapse after 10 years or 15 years, respectively.

In line with the amendment approved by parliament, a statute of limitations will be applicable only in the case of crimes punishable by over 10 and 15 years in prison.

The new regulations will enter into force on January 1.

The governing party has redrawn the electoral map to suit itself

Parliament voted in favour of the amendment to the electoral law on Tuesday, with 134 votes in favour and 52 against, and no abstentions.

  • The ruling party has completely redrawn the previously known electoral districts:
    Budapest, which was the opposition’s stronghold, has been truncated from 18 to 16 constituencies, meaning that two fewer individual MPs from the capital will be able to enter Parliament. For the amendment, all constituencies in the capital will be redrawn based on Fidesz’s analysis.
  • The two extra single MPs will be allocated to Pest county, which will have 14 constituencies in 2026 instead of the current 12.
  • The constituencies of Fejér and Csongrád-Csanád counties have also been changed.
  • Under the new law, it will no longer be necessary to carry an address card with you to vote, but only an identity card, passport or driving licence will be required to prove your identity.
  • The rules on the bundling and storage of ballot papers are clarified.
  • The law also creates the possibility and obligation of an automatic recount of votes.

The head of the committee Imre Vejkey, of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, said during the debate about the proposal that changes in demographics had prompted the amendments to the constituency allocations. The opposition parties have sharply criticised the proposal, saying that the changes served the interests of the ruling parties.

read also: Hungarian Parliament again extends the state of emergency

Lawmakers adopt 14th constitutional amendment

Lawmakers adopted the 14th amendment to Hungary’s constitution, giving parliament room to elect the chief prosecutor from outside the prosecutorial system.

The amendment passed with 135 votes in favour and 53 against.

In their justification for the amendment, the authors of the bill said the amendment brings the regulation in line with the domestic practice, arguing that two of Hungary’s three chief prosecutors since the change of regime in 1989/90 had not been prosecutors before their election.

The amendment proposal submitted by parliament’s justice committee also makes reference to international examples, pointing out that many European countries do not require the chief prosecutor to have served as a prosecutor before fulfilling the role.

The amendment will enter into force on January 1, 2025. Chief Public Prosecutor Peter Polt’s mandate expires in 2028.

The amendment also raises the minimum age for judges from 30 to 35 years effective March 1, 2025. Also, as of January 1, 2026, judges will be allowed to remain on the bench until the age of 70.

Parlt adopts amendments to laws on digitalisation of documents

Parliament adopted amendments to laws pertaining to digital citizenship and the digitalisation of documents on Tuesday.

The new regulations, adopted with 135 votes in favour, 22 against and 33 abstentions, are designed to fine-tune regulations and to align them with European Union law.

Personal data are already available in an application. From February 2025, users will be able to download and forward the authenticated contents of many official documents.

With the exception of personal IDs, documents will only be issued in physical form upon specific request. ID cards will be issued free of charge, but people above 14 will have to pay for the issuance of physical documents in other cases. Pensioners will have discount prices.

By reducing the number of plastic and paper documents, the government is expecting to reduce plastic waste by 11.1 tonnes a year, and paper waste by 1.2 tonnes.

German tourist paid a shocking fee in Hungarian hospital for VIP care – MP pressed charges

The Uzsoki Hospital is in Budapest’s 14th district, Zugló, represented by Ákos Hadházy, a well-known Hungarian anti-corruption politician, in the Hungarian National Assembly. Mr Hadházy shared documents that a German tourist had to pay EUR 1,650 for VIP care in July in the hospital, a fee higher than what German private hospitals demand for similar treatment and examination. He suspects fraud, so he pressed charges against the healthcare institution, which no longer communicates with him.

German tourist chose VIP care instead of waiting for hours

Mr Hadházy shared the details of the suspicious issue on his official Facebook page. The MP of Zugló wrote that a German tourist, being in Budapest with her husband on a boat trip, struggled with high blood pressure and headache. Therefore, an ambulance doctor recommended that she should visit the Uzsoki Hospital. There, the employees offered them two options. The tourists could wait 6-8 hours to get proper medical help or pay for VIP care. They chose the latter, and the doctor made a head CT and X-ray on the woman, Hadházy cleared.

First, the hospital wanted them to pay in cash on the spot without getting an invoice. However, the husband refused to do so. Later, they got an invoice via email, so they paid the EUR 1,650 examination fee. However, the insurance company of the German couple refused to reimburse the costs because the invoice did not detail what examinations the doctor conducted.

VIP care unit of the Uzsoki Hospital
The VIP unit of the Uzsoki Hospital. A good place to get better. Photo: FB/Hadházy

A Hungarian doctor friend of the couple living in Germany tried to help, but the hospital told her that they never issue euro invoices. That is when the issue became problematic.

Uzsoki Hospital is more expensive than German hospitals

Since the Hungarian friend could not get any details from the hospital, the couple turned to them and asked for a detailed invoice, which they received. It came to light that the Uzsoki Hospital’s VIP costs were multiple times higher than those of the private medical institutions in Germany. According to Szeretlek Magyarország, in Germany, the maximum cost of the service would have been EUR 1,000.f

The events took place in July. Since then, the hospital told Hadházy that the doctors and nurses of the hospital work at the VIP unit, but beyond their work time. Therefore, patients do not pay for the hospital but for private service providers. The service provider in contract with the organiser of the German couple’s boat trip was Smart Hospital Ltd, so the invoice was issued by them.

The VIP unit at the Uzsoki Hospital
The VIP unit is to the right. Photo: FB/Hadházy

That company is in the ownership of a Hévíz Fidesz councillor, János Gelencsér. Hévíz is a charming small town near Lake Balaton, known for the many Russian tourists who visited it before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Hadházy believes the head CT and the X-ray were made using hospital equipment because such devices are unavailable at the VIP unit. Therefore, he suspects fraud and reported the issue to the police.

The invoice and the detailed bill
The invoice (l) and the details of the examination (r). Shockingly high prices. Photo: FB/Hadházy

The hospital did not even try to reveal the circumstances

Hadházy criticised the hospital’s fairness since the institution failed to reveal the circumstances during an internal inquiry.

In another case, a Hungarian citizen received a date for knee replacement surgery in the Uzsoki Hospital for 2026. But after he paid HUF 2 million (EUR 4,883) to the doctor, he did the surgery at the “VIP unit”.

Hadházy slammed the process, saying that ordinary people must wait hours and sometimes even years for examination, treatment or surgery, while others can buy extra services for money. He believes that, in general, it is not the doctors or nurses who should be blamed for that business. Hadházy says the Hungarian government intentionally underfinances the sector, so hospitals must be creative to gain money.

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Csaba Pecsenye appointed head of National Judicial Council in Hungary

The National Judicial Council (OBT) has elected Csaba Pecsenye as its head for a three-year term, the body said on Thursday.

Csaba Pecsenye appointed

Ahead of the meeting on Wednesday, the OBT received a letter from representatives of the Hungarian Judicial Association and the Res Iudicata Association protesting against the appointment, the statement said.

In response to several comments that the agreement “lacked legal grounding” and that the OBT had no mandate from judges to enter into an agreement, Pecsenye said the payment of judges and judicial employees, the preparation of legislation in connection with the judicial system, as well as opinions on relevant legislation was under the purview of the directing bodies of the judiciary, and so the agreement was compliant with the Fundamental Law and the law on the organisation and management of courts, Pecsenye said.

“The agreement itself doesn’t harm judges’ independence, although legislation as a means to achieve a certain goal does carry the danger that legislation harms judicial independence,” he said.

Commenting on the letter after a council discussion on the judges’ proposals on the agreement, Pecsenye said the decision was not “an insult to the honour of the body”. “It is possible that the OBT makes bad decisions from time to time, but that in itself doesn’t harm anyone’s honour. Rather than whipping up emotions, it would be better to find solutions to any possible bad decisions,” he said.

“A small portion of the comments” referred to the need to tackle the issue, and that the judicial system needed a reform, Pecsenye said. He noted that under the Fundamental Law, parliament is the main body of the people’s representation in Hungary, which drafts laws, adopts the budget and its implementation and elects the prime minister, among other tasks. The legislative and executive powers have a right to define the framework of the system of courts, but must obtain the opinion of courts when shaping the judicial system; one of the ways to do that is by involving judicial bodies, including the OBT, in the legislative process, he said. Accordingly, the OBT is part of the process of legislative preparation for which it obtains the opinions of ogranisations representing the interests of judges in the process, he said.

“Our goal is to concentrate on … giving our opinion on the legislation before us … the OBT will also channel the opinion of ogranisations representing the interests of various groups,” Pecsenye said.

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Hungarian Speaker Kövér urges UN to recognise national identity as a universal human right – UPDATED

The United Nations should initiate admission of the right to national identity among the latest generation of universal human rights, László Kövér, Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly, said in Budapest on Thursday, addressing the Interparliamentary Conference on Cultural Heritage and the Identity of National Communities.

The right to national identity, which Hungary’s parliament included in a resolution in June 2022, is the right of every person to freely inherit their mother tongue and culture from their ancestors and to freely pass it on to their children, Kövér said.

Speaker László Kövér (Copy) Hungarian parliament speaker European Union
Photo: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

This could be a useful legal tool for the protection of general human dignity, which could strengthen ethnic peace, security and stability, not only in the Carpathian Basin or Europe, but everywhere in the world, Kövér told the conference held on 4-5 December as the closing event in the series of parliamentary events linked to the Hungarian EU presidency.

Implementing this proposal could advance the provision of human rights and the strengthening of democracy across the world, and in Europe, it would strengthen not only ethnic minorities, but the cooperation of European nation-states and thereby the European Union, the Speaker said.

UPDATE: Hungary to return to a sustainable growth path, says Kövér

The government’s new economic policies will set Hungary on a sustainable growth path, Laszlo Kover, the speaker of parliament, said on a campaign stop on Thursday in Janoshalma, in southern Hungary, to promote the National Consultation public survey, adding that annual growth of 3-6 percent could be expected going forward. This would be “at least twice the average growth of the European Union”, he said, adding that Hungary would continue on the path towards catching up with the rest of Europe.

The wage agreement struck in recent weeks would help average pay to reach 1 million forints within the foreseeable future, he said. Mass tourism has put upward pressure on house prices, he noted, so many Hungarians, especially young people in Budapest, cannot afford their own homes, adding that the budget also promotes cheap housing.

Kover also emphasised the importance of preserving the purchasing value of pensions and retirement benefits, especially the 13th month pension. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized enterprises, making up more than two-thirds of the economy, deserved support for recapitalisation, if needed, to undergird their growth prospects. With these measures Hungary would return to a sustainable growth path, he concluded.

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Hungarian government believes car industry and EV factories are key priorities

Hungary’s economic recovery is underway this year, in spite of extraordinary difficulties and turbulence, laying the foundation for significant growth in 2025, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said giving testimony before parliament’s economy committee on Tuesday. As he said, Orbán cabinet believes car industry and EV factories are key priorities.

Szijjarto said the weight of the global economy had shifted to the East in recent years, while the competition to attract multinationals’ investments had intensified. He warned of the danger of efforts to divide the world into blocs again and said the government was focused on strengthening connectivity.

He said the government had adopted a policy of economic neutrality, paving the way for the country to become a “meeting point” for the economies of the East and the West.

Hungary has become the “number one” location in Europe for cooperation between Western and Eastern companies, he added.

Szijjártó said the government had supported 255 investments with HUF 869bn in subsidies in 2023 and the first half of 2024. Those projects were worth more than HUF 6,000bn and created around 25,000 jobs, he added.

He noted that

62pc of that investment volume had come from China. South Korean companies were runner-up, followed by ones from Germany, he added.

Hungary accounted for 44pc of all Chinese investments in Europe during the period, he said. This year, Chinese investments in Hungary created 11,500 jobs, while investments by German companies created 3,000, he added.

read also: Chinese CATL to begin production next year in Hungary

Government support for investments went to projects in 19 branches of industry, although the most support went to electromobility investments, he said.

Szijjártó highlighted big investments in the pipeline, including Chinese EV manufacturer BYD’s plant in Szeged, German car maker BMW’s factory in Debrecen and the expansion of the Mercedes base in Kecskemét.

When those projects are finished, annual vehicle production in Hungary will climb over 1 million, he added.

Szijjártó also noted big battery manufacturing investments necessary for EV production.

read also: New Hungarian airline founded with Chinese help

Hungary eases prison visit rules, allowing more humane family reunions

New prison rules MPs passed on Tuesday are more humane and ensure the right of relatives to privacy, according to the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and FECSKE NGOs, who welcomed the abolition of restrictive provisions regarding family visits in force since 2017.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee said in a statement on Wednesday that the most significant rule change is that prisoners and relatives who visit them can greet each other and say goodbye physically, ie, with a handshake, kiss or hug.

Clear acrylic separating walls will remain in place, but in certain cases such as contact with children, inmates who qualify will be entitled to meet without the see-through separation during the entire visit once every six months, the statement noted.

The new rules apply from 1 March 2025, though high-security inmates will have to wait up to a year before visits involving personal contact are possible.

The statement said future laws were expected to complement the current one, and while there were “still plenty of open questions”, the amendment “is encouraging and goes in the right direction”.

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Featured image: illustration, depositphotos.com

Hungarian MPs decide on important tax laws

The Hungarian parliament has decided on important tax laws:

Family allowance

The amount of family allowance has not changed significantly for a decade and a half, with the last significant increase in 2006.  The family allowance is paid from birth until the child is enrolled in a public education or vocational training establishment. The upper age limit is 20 years.

MPs approved increases to tax allowances for families raising children in a vote in parliament on Tuesday. The tax allowances will rise by 50pc from July 1, 2025 and by another 50pc from January 1, 2026. The measure was part of a package of tax changes approved by lawmakers, who voted 114 for it, 42 against it, and 8 abstentions.

Home purchases

The legislation also allows Hungarians to tap their voluntary pension fund accounts for home purchases or renovation during the 2025 calendar year and raises the threshold for tax preferences on employer housing support by HUF 1.8m a year for employees under 35. SZÉP voucher card holders may apply up to half of the top-ups to home renovation expenditures.

New home builds

The legislation extends the 5pc preferential VAT rate on new home builds until the end of 2026, or until the end of 2030 for projects still under construction.

Short-term rentals

The package will raise the room tax on short-term rentals in the capital to HUF 150,000/year. As the owners of the so-called AirBNB flats are Hungarian families, they will be hit hard by this five-fold increase in tax. As we wrote n yesterday, Hungary’s parliament approves workers’ credit and short-term rental permits in Budapest

Related article: Airbnb pens open letter to Hungarian economy minister

UPDATE

State Secretary: Government to double tax allowance for families raising children

Tax allowances for families raising children are set to double in line with the tax changes parliament approved in a vote on Tuesday, the state secretary for family affairs said.

“The political left however did not support Hungarian families this time either, they did not vote in favour of doubling the tax allowance that families with children are entitled to,” Zsófia Koncz said on social media in reaction to the vote.

Under the legislation, the tax allowance will increase for families with one child to 15,000 forints (EUR 37), to 30,000 forints with two, and 49,500 with three or more as of July 1 next year, Koncz said. In a phase to follow on January 1, 2026, the allowance is set to reach 20,000 forints per one child, 40,000 forints per two and 66,000 forints for families with three or more children, respectively.

Hungary’s parliament approves workers’ credit and short-term rental permits in Budapest

On Monday, Hungarian MEPs voted on workers’ credit and short-term rental permits in Budapest.

Lawmakers approve workers’ credit

MPs approved legislation on Monday on the rollout of state-subsidised credit for young Hungarian blue-collar workers in parliament.

The legislation was cleared with a vote of 152 for, 8 against, and 17 abstentions.

The free-purpose credit, backed by a state guarantee, will be available to working Hungarians between the ages of 17 and 26 who are ineligible for student loans. Details of the credit will be issued in a government decree.

Parliament votes for a two-year moratorium on the issue of short-term rental licences in capital

Lawmakers voted in parliament on Monday for a two-year moratorium on the issue of licences for short-term rentals in the capital.

The measure was approved with 131 votes for, 27 against, and 19 abstentions. The moratorium starts on January 1, 2025.
As we wrote earlier, Airbnb has addressed an open letter to Hungarian Economy Minister Márton Nagy, urging recognition of home-sharing’s economic benefits amid a government plan to pause new Airbnb permits in Budapest for two years, details HERE.

Hungarian researchers’ new methodology for replacing GDP: the sustainability turnaround

Hungarian researchers have worked out a methodology for replacing GDP with a “sustainability turnaround” indicator showing the negative effects of economic activity while providing additional data needed for effective intervention, János Áder, the former president of the republic, said on Friday at the plenary session of the World Science Forum (WSF) held in Budapest.

“The Hungarian proposal is a combined application of three methodologies: sGDP, a sustainability performance indicator, and the well-being indicator beyond GDP for interpreting the sustainability turnaround,” he said.

This gives a bigger picture for understanding economic, social and environmental processes and for aiding decision-making while reducing risks, Ader, who is president of the Kék Bolygó (Blue Planet) foundation, said.

At today’s WSF plenary session, scientists, politicians and representatives of international organisations discussed the results of this autumn’s UN Summit of the Future and the implementation of the Pact for the Future adopted by world leaders.

World Science Forum in the Hungarian Parliament sustainability turnaround
World Science Forum in the Hungarian Parliament. Photo: MTI

Read also:

  • Former Hungarian President Áder: ‘Apology, forgiveness sign of strength, not weakness’ – read more HERE
  • Former President Áder at World Water Forum: Water crisis ‘not eased by regional, global rivalry’ – details in THIS article

Will Roman Catholic priests be obliged to report suspected pedophile crimes in Hungary?

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) will submit again a bill to lawmakers that would legally obligate people to report suspected pedophile crimes, the party’s deputy leader, Ágnes Vadai, said at a press conference on Sunday.

The bill would compel the Hungarian Catholic Church to report such crimes, too, Vadai said. She added that currently the Catholic Church could order an internal probe if there was suspicion of pedophile crimes, but then take a decision “on a subjective basis” on whether or not to file a report with the police.

She noted that a bill on the matter DK submitted to lawmakers in 2021 had been rejected by the governing party majority in parliament’s justice commiteee.

Read also:

  • Will a parliamentary committee investigate child abuse cases commited within the Catholic church? – read more HERE

After tragic death, new secretary responsible for Hungarians abroad appointed

President Tamás Sulyok has appointed Lőrinc Nacsa, MP of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, state secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office in charge of ethnic Hungarian communities, the PM’s Office told MTI on Friday.

Nacsa was nominated for the post by deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, to replace Árpád János Potápi, who died recently.

Nacsa has been his party’s parliamentary spokesman and deputy group leader. He is a member of parliament’s foreign affairs and welfare committees.

New secretary responsible for Hungarians abroad appointed
Photo: FB/Lőrinc Nacsa

Read also:

  • Tragedy: 57-year-old Hungarian politician, a fighter for all Hungarians died unexpectedly – read more HERE

Chinese soldiers in masks and a suspicious van: Mystery on Budapest’s streets?

Chinese soldiers in black masks in suspicious van marching on Budapest streets

Ákos Hadházy, an independent member of the Hungarian Parliament, has raised alarm bells by sharing a photo of a van featuring a Chinese flag, reportedly spotted speeding near Hungary’s Military National Security Service. The image, sent by a member of the public, has sparked speculation, with some Hungarian media suggesting that Chinese soldiers in black masks may be patrolling Budapest in a customised military vehicle.

Masked individuals in camouflage wear and a mysterious van

Mr Hadházy is a unique participant in Hungarian politics. He is always a non-aligned member of the parliament and regularly digging up shocking corruption cases related to the utilization of the EU monies. Now, he wrote about something else on his Facebook page. Hadházy, known for his persistent investigations into government corruption—particularly concerning the misuse of EU funds—took to Facebook to share this curious incident.

The image, reportedly sent by a supporter, depicts a van marked with a Chinese flag, allegedly seen in the vicinity of the Military National Security Service headquarters. Hadházy asserted that both the source of the image and the photograph itself were credible.

Chinese soldiers in black masks in suspicious van marching on Budapest streets
Photo: FB/Ákos Hadházy

Hadházy referred to a summer article of Magyar Hang, pointing out that the Hungarian government had granted China permission to deploy militia-like units from the People’s Armed Forces Department (PAFD) to protect Chinese state-owned enterprises in Hungary. Intelligence Online has also reported that Hungary was chosen as the first European country to host such units. Hadházy noted that Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky had not denied these claims, leading him to believe they were accurate.

A secretive agreement between Hungary and China

According to the independent MP, Hungary and China have signed two agreements related to Chinese military personnel operating within the country. The first agreement permits Chinese police officers to assist Hungarian authorities in matters involving Hungary’s growing Chinese diaspora.

The second, more contentious agreement allows China to deploy its personnel to protect Chinese interests and employees in Hungary. Notably, this agreement was classified as a domestic arrangement, bypassing the need for parliamentary scrutiny or public disclosure.

Hadházy has pledged to question the Defence Minister about the purpose of the van and whether its presence signified a military operation or something more benign.

Chinese Tiktoker’s van?

In an update to his post, Mr Hadházy referenced a comment suggesting that the van might belong to a Chinese Tiktoker touring Europe in a similar vehicle. HERE you may check out the videos.

Regardless of whether the van was part of a military operation or simply a civilian project, Hadházy emphasised two key points. First, the agreements between Hungary and China remain in effect, enabling the deployment of Chinese personnel. Second, the van’s presence near the Military National Security Service raises significant questions about its activities and purpose.

As this peculiar case unfolds, Hadházy’s revelations underline concerns over the opaque nature of Hungary’s dealings with China and the implications for national security.

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Hungary’s relations with Armenia developing after decade-long freeze

Speaker of Parliament László Kövér met his Armenian counterpart, Alen Simonyan, in Budapest on Thursday.

At the meeting held in Parliament, Kövér said the two countries shared values such as their Christian traditions and commitment to international peace and regional stability, according to parliament’s press chief Zoltán Szilágyi. That was a good foundation for developing cooperation, Kövér said. “Another link is that Hungary and Armenia have had to fight for their culture, faith and survival for centuries,” he said.

Hungary has been increasing funding for the Armenian minority continuously since 2010, and the government sees them as an important link between the two countries, he said.

Hungary Armenia speakers
Photo: MTI

“Hungary recognises and welcomes Armenia’s openness towards strengthening ties with the European Union and its commitment to economic integration into the EU, and we are ready to further that cause during Hungary’s presidency and beyond,” Kövér said.

He also welcomed Azeri and Armenian efforts to smooth conflicts in the region, adding: “We will do everything we can to achieve durable and fair peace.” The stability of the southern Caucasus and cooperation between its peoples is of primary importance for the whole of Europe, he added.

Simonyan thanked Hungary for hosting summer camps for 143 Armenian refugee children this year, as well as for helping Armenian flood victims. Kövér accepted his invitation to visit Armenia, the statement said.

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Opposition: Hungarian Parliament blocks proposal for independent inquiry into child sex abuse in Catholic church

Parliament’s justice committee has thrown out a bid to establish a committee comprising civilians and church members to investigate sex abuse against children committed within the Hungarian Catholic Church in recent years, opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) officials told an online press briefing on Thursday.

Ágnes Vadai, the party’s vice president, said DK now planned to take the matter to the legislative committee, and failing that, raise it in a plenary session.

László Sebián-Petrovszki, the (DK) deputy chairman of the justice committee, said that the committee also rejected a proposal to require the President of the Republic to justify any future clemency decisions.

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Free Christmas for all? Hungary approves referendum proposal for 24 December holiday

The Hungarian National Election Committee (Nemzeti Választási Bizottság, NVB) has approved a referendum proposal submitted by the Trade Union of Commercial Employees that seeks to designate 24 December as a public holiday. This step marks significant progress in the union’s efforts to expand recognised holidays in Hungary.

In its Wednesday session, the National Election Committee (NVB) validated a referendum initiative that would make 24 December an official public holiday. The proposal for certification was put forward by the Trade Union of Commercial Employees.

24 December might be approved as a public holiday

Currently, Hungarian law recognises the following as public holidays: 1 January, 15 March, Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, Whit Monday, 20 August, 23 October, 1 November, and 25-26 December, 24.hu writes. The proposed referendum question asks: “Do you agree that starting from the calendar year 2025, 24 December should be designated as a public holiday?”

During the NVB’s meeting on Wednesday, the committee approved the proposed referendum question with a 10-2 vote, determining that it met the requirements outlined in the constitution and the law governing referendum initiatives. This decision is not yet legally binding, as an appeal can be filed with the Curia within 15 days.

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Featured image: depositphotos.com