Peaceful demonstration in Szeged against new tax and utility cost regulations

The government's announcement of a tax modification - planned to go live in less than 2 months, from September 1 - triggered a peaceful demonstration series in Budapest and in other larger Hungarian cities last week. In Szeged, the second protest started yesterday at 6 p.m., in front of the government office at Kossuth Square.

Yesterday's demonstration was not only about the planned tax modification but also about the planned utility cost modification, also announced last week.

The tax modification, signed by President Katalin Novák yesterday, affects a kind of low-tax paying scheme, called KATA, applied mostly by self-employed people. Most people working as food couriers are affected by this new regulation, as well as many independent translators, IT workers, artists, and even lawyers, among others. After September 1, most of these taxpayers will be closed out of KATA, resulting in a much higher tax for them to be paid.

Utility costs, which for private users were kept much under the market price, will be raised for many households, starting from next month already.

After the speeches demanding the government to reconsider and rewrite the conditions and details of the new regulations, protesters marched first to the ruling party's office on Victor Hugo Street, then occupied Belvárosi Bridge until 11 p.m.

According to demonstration rules, organizers notified the police, who secured the protest and closed Belvárosi Bridge for the time of the event.

Organizers announced the possibility of another demonstration this week.

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Images by Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify.