Opposition MPs persist for 22 hours, obstructing acceptance of social care law they say will legislate inhumanity

Opposition MPs kept the Hungarian Parliament's Wednesday session alive from 9 am on Wednesday until 7 am Thursday morning. The filibuster could be followed live on the Parliament’s website the whole time.

The parliamentary group of LMP, as well as the leader of Párbeszéd, Bence Tordai, and Párbeszéd MP András Jámbor resorted to the filibuster because

they wanted answers from the government about the reason for an amendment which would brutally transform the social care system of Hungary overnight, and what the government intends to achieve with this at the beginning of the looming crisis.

The proposed amendment was submitted by Deputy PM Zsolt Semjén, and Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér on Tuesday. It is part of a 160-page compilation of bills, and it would rewrite the legislation on social care which was adopted in 1993. According to the proposal,

the state would only help the needy as a last resort, after family members, the local government and charities have failed to do so.

The amendment also states that each individual is primarily responsible for their own social security, which is unprecedented.

Another important element is that the amendment obliges the family to help their relatives if they are in a difficult situation through no fault of their own. Previously, the law had referred to the responsibility of the family in general terms.

The obstruction was possible because there was no time limit set for the debate, and it can only be closed by the president chairing the debate on the grounds of repetition. From the governing parties, Bence Rétvári and Lőrinc Nacsa were there to react to the speeches of opposition MPs, and they blamed Ferenc Gyurcsány (Hungarian PM between 2004-2009) for everything.

During the debate, Tímea Szabó of Párbeszéd called the amendment "Lex you'll croke" (Lex Megdöglesz) while Bence Tordai said that by rewriting this law, inhumanity is being legislated.