What is the "law of slavery" that has caused the biggest protests in Hungary since the end of communism | World



[ad_1]

The recent history of Hungary has not recorded any major events.

In fact, Hungarians generally largely support the policies of the ruling party since 2010, the Fidesz-Civic Hungarian Union, conservative nationalist.

Some say that even when communism fell in the country, the participation of Hungarians in the demonstrations was much lower than that of the Poles or Germans of the Eastern Bloc.

But last week, thousands of people took to the streets of Budapest, the Hungarian capital, to express their dissatisfaction with a controversial new law pbaded by Parliament.

Hungarians call it "the law of slavery".

And although the government ensures that workers benefit – pointing out that if they work harder, they will have a higher salary – unions see it as only one mechanism d & # 39; operation.

The last five days have been hectic in Budapest because of the approval of the law.

"The crowd in the snow and ice in front of the state television was the strangest and most colorful mix of protesters I've seen in Hungary for over 30 years," he said. BBC correspondent Nick Thorpe. in Central Europe. Unions perceive new law as a form of exploitation – Photo: Reuters / Leonhard Foeger "title =" New law is seen as a form of exploitation by unions – Photo: Reuters / Leonhard Foeger "data ": image / jpeg; base64, / 9j / 4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD / 2wBDAAMCAgMCAgMDAwMEAwMEBQgFBQQEBQoHBwYIDAoMDAsKCwsNDhIQDQ4RDgsLEBYQERMUFRUVDA8XGBYUGBIUFRT / 2wBDAQMEBAUEBQkFBQkUDQsNFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBT / wgARCAAQABkDASIAAhEBAxEB / 8QAGQAAAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQACBAYH / 8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAH / 2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAc0np0VSyJseo / 8A / 8QAGhAAAgMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgMABAUUFf / aAAgBAQABBQLzmGvWFXGCzVPTZKWwtlyvsVyaOvV6e7Nn / 8QAGhEAAgMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMAAhEFEv / aAAgBAwEBPwGqx5wR3NU3LET / xAAZEQACAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAwACEQX / 2gAIAQIBAT8BN9OxXRanagz / xAAnEAACAgECAgsAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADESEyBEETIjM0UXGBktHh8f / aAAgBAQAGPwLhyGDkpnPmdJUErsWxd7ZhKHIONuvpN86Lh6ylrpoHwc / HOG1ymC / Z289PqG1aGUbur4n9ncG97T / / XAAgEAEAAgICAQUAAAAAAAAAAAABABEhM UFhcVGRscHw / 9oACAEBAAE / IW1pUXkX4QKRUC1ptPBMGdCuhee3Gp2vebneYGGtVht4IGuk5LjPpWEz7pPBAqneOHc / HFU // // 9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABC6z EABwRAAICAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERITEAgaHB4f / aAAgBAwEBPxB4C7aj2uU8FvyQXAKldA7z / 8QAHBEAAQQDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEQABMfAhQWGx / 9oACAECAQE / EAJwXbt9CiXxdr // xAAbEAEBAQEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAABESEAMRBxgf / aAAgBAQABPxATv9iSEjdX6Hpm5LWXAQgJ 8Dl4nLwmj1CEd + OsFrbIaFpcGzZEvIsfZKBiI9pS7u6pyQUN4QAaYRYH2ct / 9k = "/>   A new law is seen by the unions as a way Unions consider the new law as a form of exploitation - Photo: Reuters / Leonhard Foeger

A new law is seen by the workers' unions as a form of exploitation – Photo: Reuters / Leonhard Foeger

The journalist refers to the thousands of Hungarians gathered around the country's main MTVA television channel, which is controlled by the government.

Trade unionists, students and opponents protest a number of bills pbaded in Parliament on Wednesday, December 12 – the most controversial of which is labor.

The so-called "law of slavery" increases from 250 to 400 the number of compulsory overtime that employers can charge their workers each year.

To comply with the new law, many will have to work six days a week.

"In the last eight years, many similar laws have been pbaded by Parliament, but this naturally creates a sense of solidarity, as this can affect almost all Hungarian citizens," said opposition Bence Tordai.

  It is rare for Hungarians to go to the streets to protest - Photo: Reuters / Bernadett Szabo   It is not common for Hungarians to be in the street to protest - Photo: Reuters / Bernadett Szabo [19659018] It is rare for Hungarians to take to the streets to protest - Photo: Reuters / Bernadett Szabo </p>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<div clbad=

Fidesz deputy Gyorgy Schopflin told the BBC that the reforms were "very distorted by the" opposition".

He pointed out that there was no "constraint" involved in overtime.

A spokesman for the government said the protests were the work of "foreign mercenaries" paid for by American billionaire George Soros, born in Hungary and often considered by the far right parties as the "foreign mercenaries". instigator of various conspiracies.

Soros – whose Open Society Foundation has announced that it will terminate its activities in Hungary due to the government's "repressive" policy – denies that it is at the origin of these shares and claims that the Hungarian authorities use it as a scapegoat.

The controversial new law is a response to the serious labor shortage that Hungary has experienced – a country that has maintained its anti-immigration policy in the face of the continuing wave of refugees. To reach European shores.

The government ensures that these measures benefit workers and businesses. According to the official version, the former will earn more and the latter will fill empty positions.

  Critics of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán describe it as racist and authoritarian - Photo: Reuters / Bernadett Szabo   Prime Minister Viktor Orbán critics describe as racist and authoritarian - Photo: Reuters / Bernadett Szabo Criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán describes it as racist But unions say the changes have been made at the request of major international industries and may expose workers to exploitation.

Although the unemployment rate in the country is only 4.2% in 2017, one of the lowest in the European Union, wages are so low that many highly skilled professionals have chosen to emigrate to other European countries.

The crisis in this scenario for Hungary is so serious that in 2015 the government launched a program to encourage young people to return home, providing support for housing and employment.

Another unfavorable factor in the country's labor market is the decline in the Hungarian population for years, the number of deaths being higher than the number of births, according to the European Statistical Agency.

In addition to the controversial new labor law, the Hungarian Parliament on Wednesday approved a bill that will allow "new courts" to oversee administrative affairs. public.

The opposition warned that this scenario would contribute to greater authoritarianism on the part of the ruling party, which will now exercise almost total political influence over the judicial system.

Several opposition MPs joined the protesters in front of the public television, demanding access to the media to be able to read a list of demands addressed to the government, including the repeal of the "law" on slavery ", as well as independent judicial and public media. .

Opposition political leaders say that even if they do not have a majority in Parliament, they should have a place in publicly funded media.

But why is it relatively easy for Fidesz to approve its policies?

In this year's elections, the party won a two-thirds majority in Parliament, demonstrating the fragile popular support of the opposition parties.

Fidesz has been in power since 2010 and has gradually taken over a number of previously independent institutions. Most media are controlled by government figures.

  Demonstrations take place in front of the Parliament and the official MTVA television channel - Photo: Reuters / Bernadett Szabo "title =" Demonstrations take place in front of the Parliament and the official MTVA television channel - Photo: Reuters / Bernadett Szabo " src = "data: image / jpeg; base64 / 9d / 4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD / 2wBDAAMCAgMCAgMDAwMEAwMEBQgFBQQEBQoHBwYIDAoMDAsKCwsNDhIQDQ4RDgsLEBYQERMUFRUVDA8XGBYUGBIUFRT / 2wBDAQMEBAUEBQkFBQkUDQsNFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBT / wgARCAAQABkDASIAAhEBAxEB / 8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgQH / 8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAP / 2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAZy0SAbBOmAziY // xAAcEAABBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFAAIDBAEGFRT / 2gAIAQEAAQUCaDFtnt6107YzWrEpDwYQ99gjLXgyQIFnzDrfdnX / xAAYEQEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAAEDQf / aAAgBAwEBPwFZhclZET xAAbEQACAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADBAABERIhMv // / // aAAgBAgEBPwEbbAb99hGjMXtmf EACcQAAIBAgUBCQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwARBBIiMTIFEyEjNUFRYZHR / 9oACAEBAAY / AopV8KeNLCw0kgbmppjiY0zAtx3PtYUiZAbatY0n4ryzp3037QD4k5PVy1qOGw0pdB3vIw4iuzVrZBuDX Ja // 8QAHxABAAICAQUBAAAAAAAAAAAAAREhADFREGFx0eHx / 9oACAEBAAE / IZQwbeIgamQe C5qJAdsKDIsaiSkmXnp1aaCigSHRIusvTqEs + kc5z7raLXP1n3n / 9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABD0 / wD / xAAYEQADAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAREhMf / aAAgBAwEBPxBNOBBNP EABoRAQEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERACExUdH // / // 2 gAIAQIBAT8QtBoJssLxveGGAh37n EABwQAQEAAwADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAERITFBABBRYf / aAAgBAQABPxAMYizf90aayGj4bXq9RLBMBjP5ptFHUScIgGc3z1fNh5ViXONPANpY3lAYrqnax02kB8XafxiCltsjFsz6Af / Z "/> <picture itemscope=   Demonstrations were held outside parliament and MTVA station - Photo: Reuters / Bernadett Szabo

The protest stand before Parliament and the official television channel MTVA – Photo: Reuters / Bernadett Szabo

This year the European Parliament decided to launch a lawsuit against Hungary on issues related to the rule of law.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Fidesz won his third consecutive election this year.

It revolves around former chief strategist Donald Trump and creator of the nationalist rhetoric who elected US President Steve Bannon – who even called the President-elect of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro (PSL), "a leader." "," brilliant "," sophisticated "and" very like "Trump.

The Orbán party is one of the Europeans who propose very restrictive migration policies and send harsh criticism to the institutions of the European Union, especially during election campaigns.

Although he is often described as racist and authoritarian, demonstrations against his politics are rather rare.

In the case of ongoing protests, some media have reported that the number of street protesters has decreased over the days.

With temperatures below zero and the arrival of Christmas, many wonder if the protests will take on magnitude or disperse completely.

[ad_2]
Source link