THOUSANDS of people are taking part in anti-government protests in Budapest.
The demonstrations were sparked by labour reforms but are also rooted in discontent with the government’s limits on academic freedom, corruption and other issues.
The satiric Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party hosted a march on Friday evening in the Hungarian capital with speeches, chants and signs critical of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his policies.
Protesters rallied outside Parliament then marched to the offices of President Janos Ader in Buda Castle to rebuke him for labour changes and signing another law that creates a new court system under government control.
Changes to Hungary’s labour laws allow employers to request up to 400 hours of overtime annually from workers.
The new courts, meanwhile, will hear most cases involving the state, from taxation issues to electoral fraud.
Since returning to power eight years ago, Orban has been reshaping Hungary. New laws governing the media and churches have been enacted while the state has an ever-increasing presence in all walks of life, from industry to the arts and sports.
With unorthodox policies, Orban’s governments have sought to centralise control and shore up the Hungarian economy, which a decade ago needed to be bailed out by the International Monetary Fund. His Fidesz party remains popular, securing a third consecutive two-thirds majority in April.
Emboldened by his latest big majority in parliament, Orban has forced a Budapest-based university founded by billionaire philanthropist George Soros to move most of its programmes to Vienna. He retains his fiery rhetoric against migrants and has refused to join a new European Union public prosecutor’s office focusing on fraud and corruption.
However, the recent protests have invigorated the opposition.
The catalyst for the protests was a new labour code dubbed the “slave law” by critics and approved by MPs on December 12. It would increase the number of overtime hours employers could ask workers to put in voluntarily, essentially bringing back a six-day working week, and allow overtime payments to remain unpaid for up to three years.
“I think the slave law is a spark, with the protest banner saying ‘We’ve had enough’ capturing it best,” said Csaba Toth of the Republikon Institute think tank.
On Monday, several opposition MPs were physically expelled from the state TV headquarters after spending the night in the building trying to get their demands read on air.
Akos Hadhazy, an independent MP who was among those assaulted by security guards, said Hungary was now closer to becoming a dictatorship. Government officials, meanwhile, called on the opposition to respect the law.
Opposition MPs were silenced by parliamentary authorities during the bill’s debate and legislators swept aside in a single vote some 2800 amendments to the bill.
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