Parliament votes to set up a Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office

Budapest, October 12 (MTI) – Hungary’s parliament on Monday voted to establish a cabinet office as a separate ministry.

The new ministry will be headed by Antal Rogan, former parliamentary group leader of the ruling Fidesz party.

Rogan said earlier that the aim of the new ministry is to aid the work of the prime minister. The cabinet office will also manage the government’s communications.

Parliament also amended the national budget to allocate resources for the new body.

Bence Tordai, spokesman for the opposition Dialogue for Hungary (PM) party, told a press conference that “Viktor Orban will now have two ministries of his own”, while no separate ministry will be dedicated to health care or education.

The Egyutt party said that setting up a “propaganda ministry” was a clear sign the government’s “falling apart”. In a statement, Egyutt insisted the prime minister can no longer “rein in” conflicts between stalwarts of his Fidesz party, and had to “pacify” Rogan, who is allegedly at odds with government office chief Janos Lazar, by giving him a new portfolio.