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The Hungarian government has published its vaccine procurement contracts with the producers of Sputnik V and Sinopharm’s vaccine. In the past months, the government avoided all requests of publication, despite being in agreement that the contracts are of public interest. The main noticeable difference between the two contracts is that while the government purchased the Russian vaccine directly, the purchase of the Chinese vaccine took place through a third party, at a much higher price. Hungarian Government’s Previous Secrecy Around Vaccine Contracts The Hungarian government has, until now, avoided publishing the vaccine contracts. Liberal news portal 444.hu went to multiple government departments asking for the details of the vaccine orders but received no information. Minister Gulyás told the news portal that the documents would be shared, as they are public interest data, however he did not say where the information could be located. ....
Hungary’s opposition parties have spoken out against the government’s most recent, mandatory contract for all those working in Hungary’s healthcare field. The contract, finalized on March first, resulted in the resignation of around 5,500 essential workers. By March first, Hungary’s healthcare workers had to sign a contract involving stricter work conditions, a lower salary for some due to new overtime rules, and the banning of second jobs. Five percent of healthcare workers chose not to sign the document, feeling that they did not deserve to be put in such a position. These people are no longer legally allowed to work in public hospitals and specialist clinics. ....
Opposition Parties Refuse to Extend State of Emergency Law The government wants to extend a law on its response to the second wave of the novel coronavirus, extending the state of emergency declared due to the pandemic. The vote will be held today and it requires the support of 80 percent of Parliament. As more and more opposition parties and MPs announce they will not vote for the initiative, it seems unlikely it will be prolonged now. The bill would grant the government enhanced powers to handle the pandemic for a period of another 90 days. The last time, MPs approved the regulations with 180 votes in favor and one against in November. ....
The last government-critical radio station, Klubrádió, switched off analog broadcasting at Sunday midnight and continues airing online. The Media Authority’s decision, followed by a court ruling, generated uproar and debates, and will probably remain on the agenda for a long time. Klubrádió signed off by replaying part of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s speech at the European Parliament in 2018 when he said: “…we would never sink so low, as to silence those with whom we disagree.” In the last minutes, chairman András Arató called those responsible for “silencing the radio,” “nobodys.” He asked listeners to continue listening to and supporting the radio. ....