VSHow can we fight for what we believe in when we risk losing our livelihood and security? It’s a question some Hungarians must now confront, amid the democratic decline brought about by Viktor Orban and his ruling Fidesz party.
A particularly acute question for teachers in Hungary, who have been demonstrating in the streets for eight years. Since Orban came to power in 2010, they had witnessed profound nationalist shifts in the country’s education system. In particular an overhaul of the school program intended to make it “more patriotic” and family-oriented; a small increase in their remuneration despite stubbornly high inflation; staff shortages and poor conditions that place them at the bottom of the ranks, in terms of salaries, of OECD countries and the European Union; massive budget cuts and the elimination of courses that the government disapproves of; and finally, a series of laws that not only undermined their rights, but also their ability to provide quality education to young Hungarians.
This might seem like a simple series of system malfunctions. In reality, Orban and his administration are pursuing a strategy of dismantling public education in Hungary. They have been explicit on the issue and stressed that their attack on teachers – outside of those working in Christian schools – is a small price to pay for the cultural change they want to bring about in the country. The Prime Minister has spoken openly about the importance of “collective beliefs and social customs”. His government has stood firm despite waves of crippling protests – including in response to a major corruption scandal – transferring control of a number of public universities to foundations. The latter’s boards of directors include senior party officials, who carry out reprisals against any person contesting this policy. It is not uncommon for government-supported media to discredit those who criticize the state of the country by calling them“foreign agents” – stories similar to those coming from autocracies like Russia.
Serial layoffs
When it comes to public education, Tanitanek (roughly translated means “I want to teach”) is one of the movements targeted by the government. With its 90,000 members, it coordinated the demonstrations for several months, and received the 2023 European Citizen Prize in recognition of its work. Its co-founder Katalin Törley played a central role in these waves of protests in 2022 and 2023, and wants to run against Fidesz in the next European elections. She thus became a major political figure.
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