Election and referendum to be held simultaneously

Election and referendum to be held simultaneously

Hungary will save seven billion forints (19.7 million euros) by holding the parliamentary elections and the referendum on child protection on the same day, Gergely Gulyas, the head of the Prime Minister's Office, told a government press briefing on Thursday.

POLITIKA English 2022. JANUÁR 13. 15:25

Consensus is rare in Hungarian politics, the minister said, adding that it is a welcome phenomenon that there is complete agreement on the timing of the two votes. Mr Gulyas expressed gratitude specifically to Timea Szabo, the representative of the opposition Dialogue Party, who recommended holding the election and the referendum at the same time. The proposal was supported by all members of the National Assembly.

A lot is riding on both the election and on the referendum, Gergely Gulyas emphasized. Putting a ban on sexual propaganda targeting minors in schools and in advertisements is justified, he said, adding that the right to raise children belongs to parents. The minister urged citizens to have their say not only in the election, but in the referendum as well.

Immunity certificate to be replaced

As of 15 February, immunity certificates will become vaccination certificates. From that date, those aged over 18 who have received their third jab against the coronavirus, and those who have received their second dose within six months, will be considered vaccinated. For those under 18, two vaccine doses will suffice, Gergely Gulyas added.

Due to the Omicron variant, „recovery” from the disease no longer means the same as before, and protection can only be guaranteed by vaccination , the minister explained.

No new certificate will be needed, people’s status can be checked using their QR codes.

Duration of mandatory self-isolation will decrease

Self-isolation for adults will be seven days, which can end after five days provided that the person has no symptoms and has tested negative for the coronavirus. The practice adopted in the upper grades of elementary schools will be extended to lower grades; if an infection occurs in class, the self-isolation period for the unvaccinated will be reduced to 5 days.

In Hungary, school education must remain uninterrupted, in the form of face-to-face classroom teaching, but online teaching can be also delivered to unvaccinated students in self-isolation.