Coronavirus – Socialists call on government to cooperate with opposition

The ruling Fidesz party and its government should cooperate with the opposition rather than “sowing divisions”, opposition Socialist deputy group leader Tamás Harangozó told an online press conference on Thursday.

The government should accept the opposition’s offer of “extremely broad government powers but limited to a certain period”, Harangozó said.

He also called for remote electronic parliamentary voting, noting that the European Parliament and the European Council had adopted this method of voting.

Harangozó said that the government was “playing a cheap and dangerous political game amid the coronavirus epidemic” by blaming the opposition for thwarting a bill aimed at enhancing government powers without a timeframe. He noted that the state of emergency itself can be extended by a simple majority.

“No such decision was made in parliament because neither Fidesz nor the government had proposed it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Harangozo said more coronavirus tests should be made available in Hungary, adding that his party’s MPs were offering one million forints (EUR 3,000) each, out of their salaries, as a contribution to efforts to combat the epidemic.

In reaction, ruling Fidesz said the government’s epidemic response bill was key to mounting a rapid and effective defence against the pandemic.

“It seems the opposition has still not grasped the need for cooperation in protecting Hungarians from the epidemic,” the statement said.

The measures expiring before parliament could extend the state of emergency next Tuesday need to be regulated with temporary measures, the statement said.

Source: MTI