May 1 celebrations without critical mass

A left-wing commentator accuses the government of ignoring the needs of poor Hungarians. A pro-government columnist thinks that the government has done much more for Hungarian employees than left-wing governments.

May 1 events were held by all major parties, except Fidesz. According to separate reports, the opposition parties’ celebrations were attended by very few people .

Népszava’s Róbert Friss explains the lack of public interest in the May 1 celebrations by claiming that Hungarian workers are not much better off than they were a century ago. The left-wing columnist contends that in Western Europe, social democrats and capitalists made a deal and created strong welfare states, while the Hungarian government cares little for the poor, and insists on an increasingly authoritarian and dictatorial rule.

In Magyar Nemzet, Gyula Haraszti finds it absurd that opposition politicians used the May 1 rallies to lambast the government. The pro-government commentator claims that under the Fidesz government, the employment rate has boomed, and Hungary has basically reached full employment. Haraszti adds that while boosting the economy, the government has kept the public deficit under control. In conclusion, Haraszti thinks that the  welfare promises made by the opposition parties  are just pie in the sky, and the Left should not be trusted to care for Hungarian people in need.

Tags: economy, employment, GDP, welfare