Opposition parties criticised the government

Parties of the opposition have criticised the government for its Wednesday decision to make certain large companies pay a part of their extra profits to a new public utility cut fund and a defence fund.

The Democratic Coalition said the government was seeking to make residents pay for its “ill-advised policies and reckless corruption”. In a statement, the party said it was “obvious” that energy and telecommunications companies, banks and airlines would raise revenues to pay a new tax through raising their prices.

“PM Orban’s new taxes will be paid by the Hungarian people,” it said.

Radical Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland) said the government had implemented Mi Hazánk’s earlier proposal, but “it will not impose a tax on its own oligarchs”. During the coronavirus pandemic, Mi Hazánk demanded a supertax to be levied on large international companies such as tech firms, large chains, pharmaceuticals and casinos. The government, however, has

“opted to indebt the next generations through amassing the state debt rather than levying a tax on multinationals”,

the party said. Pharmaceuticals and casinos “associated with the oligarchs of (ruling) Fidesz” have been left unaffected by the new measure, they said.

LMP said it supported that companies with extra profits should take a larger part of the public burden. It said, however, that a third fund should also have been established and financed by companies making profits on polluting and fossil fuels. This fund could be used to finance insulation projects and renewable energy developments, the party said.