Parliament votes to dock opposition MPs’ pay

Parliament voted to dock the salaries of 10 Socialist and 1 independent lawmaker on Tuesday.

The ruling, proposed by house speaker László Kövér and voted for exclusively by lawmakers of the governing parties, docks one third, 249,292 forints (EUR 810), of the monthly salary of independent lawmaker Tímea Szabó.

After the inauguration of President János Áder at the start of his second term on May 8, Szabo stood on her chair and held up a marionette with Ader’s face affixed to the puppet’s head, saying “he isn’t a president but a puppet”.

Kövér said Szabó had severely offended the dignity of the office.

During a speech of Socialist lawmaker Ágnes Kunhalmi on the Central European University on April 10, ten Socialist lawmakers held up signs reading “Veto” and “Don’t sign it, Janos” – the latter referring to President Ader who was to sign the higher education amendment bill into law shortly after.