Hungarian left speaks out on coronavirus crisis

This is a social and humanitarian catastrophe, say the Workers’ Party of Hungary 2006, member of the Hungarian social roundtable and of the European Left.

Dear Decision-makers!

It is already visible today that the coronavirus crisis is not only a health crisis but also a protracted economic and social crisis. Unemployment, existential insecurity and social tensions can increase dramatically. In this situation, you are literally deciding on life and death issues!

The voice of those who are suffering in time of peace is speaking to you through us: Let’s ring the bells!

The masses of the poorest families will starve if there is no immediate municipal task and state guarantee liability.

Families living in poverty have far more chronic patients, among both children and adults. If the virus breaks into closed communities, it will cause unimaginable human suffering and destruction.
The helpless misery and inertness resulting from the curfew, starvation, and the loss of family members is a scary affliction, but all together it is explosive at the same time!

To ensure the peace and integrity of every Hungarian citizen, the government should undertake to take immediate measures to protect families in need by safe epidemic control, supplying them with missing food, cleaning supplies, safe drinking water and protective equipment as well as to inform them of the most basic hygiene measures.

Please make the Internet free and provide proper devices so that online education would be a possibility in poor communities too!

The state should prevent municipalities of small settlements from closing down or discriminating between the poor on any grounds!

These are the means of extinguishing.

As the crisis will be protracted, a treatment must be found that is capable of generating social peace. This means the introduction of emergency basic income and a significant increase in social benefits.

Finally, we expect full cooperation from the responsible government, all  public institutions, parties, NGOs and local governments, in the same way as decent self-organizations in society are already showing us examples in the field of food donations, masks or elderly care.

If the healthy functioning of society becomes more important than political power then Hungary will survive the crisis.

From the NGOs of the Hungarian Social Roundtable.

Translated by Matyas Benyik