The coordination council of employers, employees and municipal representatives (Főét) has suggested that Budapest should be compensated by the gov't for lost business tax revenues so that "it can perform its public tasks at a high level", Mayor Gergely Karácsony said.
Hungarian Parties Start Campaigning for Coronavirus Vaccine
As many people in Hungary do not want to get vaccinated either because they are afraid of the side effects of the vaccine, or because they have doubts over its effectiveness, many scientists, public figures, and leading politicians have started campaigning to convince skeptics that the vaccines are safe and encourage everyone to get inoculated. We took a look at what the Hungarian parties’ main messages are regarding vaccination.
Unsurprisingly, government politicians are regularly campaigning on social media and other forums to persuade people of the importance of vaccination.
Last week, the pre-registration for the coronavirus vaccine began on a new official government website. However, in recent days, neither the government nor the operative board has been clear on what exactly it means to register at vakcinainfo.gov.hu and whether those who apply will be able to choose from the available vaccines. At the same […]C
The opposition Fidesz group in the Budapest city council slammed Mayor Gergely Karácsony and his colleagues on Wednesday, accusing them of “unscrupulously regarding Budapest citizens as a means to power”.
The Fidesz group said on Facebook that they would continue to work against the “mayor’s lies” next year, and highlight “every mistake and abuse” in order to protect the interests of Budapest residents.
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony and 37 mayors of Budapest districts and cities around Hungary demanded in a joint statement on Sunday that the government withdraw a decision on halving the local business tax. The statement issued by an organisation dubbed Alliance of Free Cities said the move would be a “final blow” to local councils. […]Continue reading
PMO Head: Vaccination of Health Workers to Start on December 27
The vaccination of health workers against Covid-19 will start on December 27, with 5,500 doses of vaccine expected to arrive from the European Union within days and further shipments to follow soon after, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office told an online press briefing on Tuesday.
Doctors and nurses providing intensive care to coronavirus patients will be the first to be inoculated, Gergely Gulyás said.
The epidemic will end once a vaccine is available in enough quantity, he said.
The government has reserved 16 million doses of vaccine through the European Union which is sufficient for the inoculation of 8 million people. Once 60-65 percent of the population gets vaccinated, “herd immunity” will be achieved, he added.
Hungarian Press Roundup: PM Orbán Announces New Economic Action Plan
Echoing the opposition parties, a left-wing commentator accuses the government of ‘bleeding dry’ local councils by reducing local business taxes. A pro-government columnist, on the other hand, accuses the opposition of the ‘absurd tendency’ to increase taxes in times of economic hardship.
Hungarian press roundup by budapost.eu
Background information: on Saturday, Prime Minister Orbán announced a new action plan to help Hungarian families and companies and boost the economy. PM Orbán extended the debt servicing moratorium until July, offered to compensate two-thirds of wage costs for companies in December and January, and announced a new home refurbishing loan for families. The plan also cuts the local business tax for small and medium-sized businesses by 50 per cent. Opposition parties, including the mayors of several opposition-run cities, sharply criticized the cuts to business taxes, which they say