Orbán's Bulgarian Fandom: Unexpected Admiration in the Balkan Country
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's popularity is surprisingly higher in Bulgaria than in his own country or neighboring Slovakia
Thousands protested in Budapest on Sunday against Hingarian government’s plans to impose tax on Internet data traffic.
Opponents to the new levy say it will not only make it more expensive for individuals and businesses to use Internet, especially for cash-strapped schools and universities, but will also restrict access to the Web to government critics who mainly use online media.
The Hungarian government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban included the new levyin the 2015 draft tax bill submitted to parliament. Under the proposed draft, Internet providers will have to pay a tax of 150 forints (EUR 0.50) per gigabyte of data traffic traffic transferred over their networks.
Even though the draft suggests companies will be able to offset corporate income tax against the new levy, the protesters believe common users will have to bear the increased tax burden.
Orban has said the new levy will be an extension of phone call and text taxes his government introduced in 2011. Neelie Kroes, the outgoing European Commissioner in charge of the EU’s digital agenda, said last week the new tax will hurt Hungary's digital economy, pointing out that the country has a below EU-average score its Internet use, broadband access and online regulation.
According to state-run Hungarian news agency MTI, protests against the planned new tax were also held in the towns of Pecs, Miskolc and Veszprem.
The organizers of the protest action in Budapest said in a statement the proposed new tax “is part of the Orban government’s increasingly repressive efforts to control and punish independent media and civil society watchdog groups through both legal and economic means.”
Orban’s government plans to collect as much as 25 billion forints (EUR 81M) of revenue from the measure. According to the Economy Ministry, the new levy is needed because people increasingly use Internet-based services instead of traditional phones.
While the demonstration was underway, Orban’s governing Fidesz party issued a statement in which it promised to submit on Monday an amendment to the draft legislation in parliament, which would cap monthly payments for household subscribers at 700 forints (EUR 2.3).
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
The European Parliament has voted to impose a €10,000 limit on cash payments within the European Union
French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stark warning to Europe, urging the continent to confront the challenges of a rapidly changing world
The European Parliament has approved the EU's inaugural directive aimed at regulating the employment rights of individuals working through online platforms
As the Hungarian forint experiences volatility, German investors are increasingly advocating for Hungary to adopt the euro, reaching the highest level of support in over a decade
Eurostat data indicates that Greece (161.9%), Italy (137.3%), France (110.6%), Spain (107.7%), and Belgium reported the highest public debt-to-GDP ratios among EU member states by the conclusion of 2023
Concerns are mounting within the European Parliament regarding potential Russian interference in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, coupled with apprehensions surrounding Russian-owned properties in Bulgaria
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022