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Radicals Would Welcome Fidesz, but Party Undecided on EP Future
Fidesz representatives chose to leave the European People’s Party faction of the European Parliament on Wednesday, after the party passed a ruling which would have likely led to the suspension of Fidesz MEPs in the EPP group. Now Two Right Wing party groups within the European Parliament have stated that they would be happy to have the Hungarian governing party on their side.
Fidesz has not stepped out of the broader EPP party family, but their delegates in the European Parliament will now be independent of any European party.
The upcoming Hungarian vaccination certificate will not state the type of the given vaccine, according to an amendment to the relevant government decree.
Hungarian Politicians Commemorate Victims of Communism
February 25 marks Hungary’s Memorial Day for the Victims of Communism. Notable individuals within the Hungarian government, as well as some opposition parties, have voiced their commemoration for the victims of Soviet Occupation and Hungarian communism throughout the 20th century.
On this date in 1947, Béla Kovács, leader of the independent Smallholders Party, was unlawfully arrested and deported to the Soviet Union. On June 16, 2000, the Hungarian Parliament declared February 25 a national day of remembrance in honor of Kovács.
Government Officials Emphasize the Importance of Remembrance
Head of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyássaid that the “suffering caused by communism and heroic defiance against dictatorship is a part of our national identity.”
Hungarian physicians have to sign a new contract by the end of this week to be able to continue working in public care after March 1st. Under the new agreement, the base salary of doctors will increase significantly, but there might be a major setback in the additional benefits, so much so that for some it could fully negate the promised pay increase. As a result, employees of several hospitals across the country seem to be rejecting the contract, endangering the proper functioning of the healthcare system.
Major wage hike for doctors but only with strict conditions
Parliament approved the bill of a major wage hike for physicians last October. The new law grants a 120% salary increase to doctors in Hungary in three steps, reaching its maximum in January 2023. The law also criminalizes gratuities offered as bribes and sets a limit on the value of non-cash gifts from patients to doctors at five percent of the monthly minimum wage.