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Uncovering Europe


STRIKES, SACKINGS AND SURGING PRICES: TEACHER ANGER RAGES IN HUNGARY

Comments
By Joshua Askew  & Euronews' Hungarian team   •  Updated: 14/12/2022

Participants stand with tape over their mouths during a demonstration of
teachers, students and parents in Budapest   -  Copyright  Credit: AFP

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“I just don't understand why the government treats us like criminals," teacher
Maria Nemes told Euronews. “I love my students. I love my colleagues. I love my
high school.”



Nemes is one of more than a dozen Hungarian teachers who have been sacked for
"civil disobedience". 

The 50-year-old English teacher was dismissed with "immediate effect" in
November, after protesting the decision of local authorities to fire some fellow
teachers for staging a walkout. 




Anger among teachers has bubbled away for years over low wages and gruelling
working hours, but new strike laws have pushed them into open conflict with the
government. Budapest vowed to give teachers a pay rise in the next three
years last month.

 * Teacher strikes: How do teachers' salaries compare across Europe?

Industrial action has swept through the sector, triggering rafts of dismissals
and large protests that have taken on an anti-government flavour. 

In December, Karinthy Frigyes High School in Budapest was forced to close
because so many teachers were sacked or absent, their number was below the legal
minimum. 

Meanwhile, an "extraordinary break" was ordered at Vörösmarty Mihály Secondary
School after 90% of the teaching staff refused to return to work following the
dismissal of a colleague.




WHAT IS HAPPENING TO TEACHERS IN HUNGARY?

Even before the cost of living crisis, Hungarian teachers felt underpaid,
earning approximately €520-560 per month after more than a decade on the job. In
comparison, the average price of an apartment in Budapest is €400-600.

Inflation in Hungary is currently 22.5%, which is among the highest in the EU.

In January, one junior teacher wrote a damning open letter to Hungarian Prime
Minister Viktor Orban. Despite working 57 hours a week, he was left with €98 to
live on a month after paying rent and bills, eating only rice or pasta and often
having to bring toilet paper home from his school. 

“If you're a young teacher who lives on their own, there is simply no way of
making it until the end of the month,” said Andras Kadar, an attorney and
co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, which is legally representing two
Hungarian teachers' trade unions.

“We are talking about people to whom we trust our children’s upbringing and
education. It's obviously crazy that we don't pay them enough.”



Low wages and poor working conditions have undermined the quality of education
in Hungary, fuelling crippling teacher shortages as more and more people are
pushed away from the profession, claimed Nemes.

People gather to demonstrate in solidarity with students and teachers demanding
higher wages and better working conditions, at Liberty Bridge, in Budapest,
Hungary, Oct, 2022. AP/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved

She believed the government was purposefully doing this as a way of stabilising
its power and ensuring people do not challenge it in the future.

“I feel as if our government does not want people to think critically," Nemes
told Euronews."They don't want people to have an academic education or open
mind, nothing, just go to work, do your job and vote like you are told.

“It's deliberate.”

But, in a statement sent to Euronews, the Hungarian government refuted this.



"It is unacceptable and wrong to claim that education funding in Hungary is low
because the government wants to disable critical thinking," said a government
statement.

"Contrary to this claim, the Hungarian national curriculum defines the
development of critical thinking as a compulsory task".

In October. Hungary's government pledged to give teachers an unprecedented wage
hike in the coming years, but claimed it cannot do so until the EU releases
blocked funds. 

Last month, Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office,
said if "there are no obstacles to the arrival of the money [from the European
Commission] then the salary increases will begin in January.

"We want it to be 20% - it only depends on the commission," he added. 



Budapest and Brussels are currently in a long-running spat over rule of law
concerns and the alleged misuse of EU money in Hungary. 

Brussels has blocked much-needed funding from Budapest until it passes reforms.


‘STRIKES WERE MADE INVISIBLE’

Things were made worse for teachers in Hungary when the government introduced a
decree in February 2022, which increased the "minimum level of service" strikers
must provide during a walkout.

In reality, this change decreased the effectiveness of strikes as it forced
teachers to still do a large amount of work while striking. 

It was passed using special emergency powers brought in under the COVID
pandemic, though the decree was reformed into a new law in July 2022.

“This decree made strikes invisible,” Kadar told Euronews. “A strike can only
perform its function if it hurts to some extent. A strike that does not hurt is
not a strike."

A school in Hungary during the COVID pandemic. Attila Balazs/MTI - Media Service
Support and Asset Management Fund

He pointed out that industrial action is protected under the European Convention
on Human Rights under the freedom of assembly.

“Strikes are a way for workers to assert their interests vis-a-vis a more
powerful actor,” said Kadar. In the world of labour, there are asymmetries of
power. The employer has the money to pay you and the power to dismiss you. If an
employer exploits you, you need lawful ways to pressure them to improve your
working conditions.

“This is exactly what the teachers are trying to do”.

Denied the legal right to strike, teachers were left with only one tool left to
protest: so-called "civil disobedience". 

But this meant that their action was not considered a lawful strike, but rather
a refusal to work, which forms grounds for dismissal under Hungarian employment
law.

"The Left has deceived Hungarian teachers by claiming that the current strike
law does not comply with the provisions of the Fundamental Law," said Hungary's
government in a statement to Euronews.

"It was an unfounded claim that the right to strike would be disproportionately
restricted, or that the right to strike would be rendered impossible, or that
the fundamental meaning of strike would be made void."


‘WE DON'T SEE A WAY OUT’

Teachers challenged these changes legally.

Together with the Helsinki Committee and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union,
their two unions appealed to the country’s constitutional court and later the
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Warning strikes took place in January 2022.

Kadar, who is working on the case as a joint effort of the Hungarian Helsinki
Committee and Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, hoped the ECHR would rule in the
teacher’s favour to give them a stronger case for repelling the
"strike-breaking" law.

“The government at the moment is in dire need to prove its commitment to
fundamental democratic values and rule of law,” he said. “I can only hope that
they take this seriously".

The case at the ECHR is still ongoing.

 * What is the European Court of Human Rights?

According to Dr Judit Zeller from the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, teachers
saw “no other way” of influencing the authorities into taking action.

“There's no impetus from the government to develop the sector. These are
problems that have existed for decades. And we just don't see a way out.”

“Policies are just not appearing. There's no consideration to have an education
reform."

The Hungarian government has brought in a number of educational reforms over the
years. It has created scholarships for disadvantaged students, swimming
programmes and supported the public education of local ethnic minorities. 

Budapest has also previously claimed it gave teachers the biggest pay rise in
modern Hungarian history, while investing in education, particularly in rural
areas.


'SOLIDARITY'

But Hungary’s teachers are not resisting alone.

Thousands of pupils and parents have protested in solidarity with them,
especially in Budapest and other major cities, with the largest demonstration
drawing in crowds of over 50,000 in October.

Some demonstrations have taken on a more anti-government stance, with protests
displaying banners ridiculing the Hungarian PM.

Hungarian students hold a banner during a protest in solidarity with their
teachers in front of the St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest, Hungary, Friday,
Sept. 2, 2022. AP/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved

“There is already a movement and you can feel that it is getting wider and wider
… the solidarity overarches the political divide,” said Dr Zeller. “Religious
schools and those on the right side of the political palette are also supporting
teachers.”

Teachers have called for "urgently needed" reforms, besides higher wages,
reduced workloads and the restoration of their right to strike. 

They want a renewal of education, with more opportunities for everyone, an
improved, freer service and a 21st-century environment that has a modern
curriculum, according to Dr Zeller. 

Plus she claims teachers also want the government to change how it treats
teachers, putting an end to what she saw as discrediting tactics and
intimidation.

In 2011, the Hungarian government put schools directly under its executive
control and took away many of the freedoms of teachers, such as their right to
choose textbooks, replacing them with books that some claim are extremely low
quality.

“Even if we look at the strike demands, it's not enough,” added Dr Zeller. “If
they [teachers] get 100%, it's still not going to be enough for our educational
system”.

“It has to be reformed from the ground.”



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FOUR CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH QATAR CORRUPTION SCANDAL AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Comments
By Euronews  with AFP  •  Updated: 12/12/2022

A man walks near the entrance of the European Parliament in Brussels on December
9, 2022.   -  Copyright  KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP or licensors

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Four people have been charged in connection with an anti-corruption
investigation into the European Parliament that has sent shockwaves through
Brussels. Click here for Monday's latest developments on this story.



European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili and three others were charged and
imprisoned on Sunday in Belgium, amid a police probe into alleged corruption
linked with Qatar. 

Six people have been arrested since Friday in Brussels after investigators made
multiple raids based on suspicions of "substantial" money payments by the Gulf
state to influence MEPs. 




Kaili -- a Greek Socialist MEP and one of 14 vice presidents at the European
legislative body -- was charged with "corruption". She has been suspended from
her party and sanctioned, being withdrawn from duties, such as representing the
head of the parliament in the Middle East.

The Belgian federal prosecutor's office did not name the country, but a source
close to the issue confirmed to AFP that it was Qatar, which other media outlets
have also reported. 

"This is not an isolated incident," said Transparency International. "For
several decades, [the European] Parliament has allowed a culture of impunity to
develop ... and a total absence of independent ethical control".



The other three individuals who have been charged remain unnamed. But AP
reported at their number includes one EU lawmaker and a former member.



A spokesperson for Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament,
announced on Saturday evening: "In the light of the ongoing judicial
investigations carried out by the Belgian authorities, President Metsola has
decided to suspend with immediate effect all the powers, duties and tasks that
have been delegated to Eva Kaili in her capacity as Vice-President of the
European Parliament."

Earlier in the day, she said the EU legislator "stands firmly against
corruption" and that "we'll do all we can to assist the course of justice."

The allegations come at a sensitive time for Qatar as it hosts the World Cup.
The Gulf State has already had to battle against claims around alleged human
rights abuses of migrant workers and the LGBT+ community.

"Any allegation of misconduct on the part of the State of Qatar testifies to
serious misinformation," a Qatari government official told AFP on Saturday.

Hearings of the suspects were ongoing in Brussels over the weekend, according to
a spokesperson for the federal prosecutor's office. Two of the six arrested have
been released. 


 * 'We must keep reforming': EU Parliament marks 70th anniversary

Prosecutors said the investigation by Belgian judge Michel Claise is looking
into "corruption" and "money laundering" within an organised gang. 

Kaili -- formerly a news anchor --  was suspended from the Socialists and
Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament "with immediate effect" on Friday,
according to a statement shared by the group.

On Saturday the Belgian newspaper L'Echo claimed that "several bags full of
banknotes" were discovered at her Brussels home. Police searched Kaili's house
after allegedly finding her father in possession of a large amount of cash in "a
suitcase".

In November, the EU lawmaker went to Qatar where she welcomed "reforms" in the
Gulf State. 

"Qatar is a leader in terms of labour rights," she said afterwards at the podium
of the European Parliament, sparking a fierce backlash from other MEPs. 



An additional house search of another socialist MEP, Belgian Marc Tarabella,
took place Saturday evening. 

The EU legislator will open on Monday in what promises to be a fiery
session. French socialists have lambasted the "very serious scandal", with MEP
Manon Aubry demanding a debate on the issue and criticising "aggressive
lobbying" by Qatar. 



European Parliament sources told Euronews that Kaili's office had been sealed by
Belgium police on Friday, along with those of two Belgian socialist MEPs, Maria
Arena and Marc Tarabella.

Arena denied any involvement, stating that the investigation involved her
assistant instead.

"The seals were put because she worked for the NGO Fight Impunity, I believe, in
2019," Arena told Le Soir. "It has nothing to do with the fact that she is my
assistant."



Media outlets in Greece and Belgium reported that one of those arrested is
Kaili's partner.

The Greek socialist party PASOK, of which Kaili is a member, announced on Friday
evening that she was "expelled" from its membership.

Belgium's Federal Prosecutor's Office said it recovered €600,000 in cash and
seized computers and mobile phones in Friday's swoop.

"For several months, investigators of the Federal Judicial Police have suspected
a Gulf country to influence the economic and political decisions of the European
Parliament, this is done so by paying large sums of money or offering large
gifts to third parties with a significant political and/or strategic position
within the European Parliament," it said.



The beneficiaries are personalities with "a significant political and/or
strategic position" in the European Parliament, added the prosecutor's office. 

At least three of those arrested are all believed to be Italian citizens:
director of No Peace Without Justice NGO Niccolò Figà-Talamanca; trade union
leader Luca Visentini; the former S&D MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri; and
parliamentary assistant in the S&D group and Kaili's partner, Francesco Giorgi,
according to Italian news agency ANSA. 

Kaili, 44, has been an MEP since 2014.

Contacted by Euronews, the European Parliament's press services said that "the
European Parliament does not comment on judicial proceedings".

"As always, the European Parliament fully cooperates with the national
authorities in charge. The same in this specific case," they added.

The centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the largest in the hemicycle,
said that "no stone should be left unturned" in the ongoing investigation.

"There is no place for corruption anywhere in the EU. The authorities have our
full support," the group said.

The Greens MEP from Germany, Anna Cavazzini, shared her surprise about Kaili's
arrest on Twitter.

"This is quite shocking if suspicions come true," Cavazzini tweeted. "I heard
her very pro-Qatar speech (at the) plenary and was extremely surprised about
it."



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HYDROGEN PIPELINE BETWEEN SPAIN AND FRANCE TO BE COMPLETE BY 2030 AND COST €2.5
BILLION

Comments
By Alice Tidey   •  Updated: 09/12/2022

Portuguese PM Antonia Costa, Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, Spanish PM
Pedro Sanchez and French President Emmanuel Macron, in Alicante, Spain, Dec. 9,
2022.   -  Copyright  AP Photo/J.M Fernandez

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The undersea pipeline between Barcelona and Marseille is to only carry hydrogen
and should be completed by 2030, leaders said on Friday.



The H2MED project, agreed upon between the leaders of France, Portugal and Spain
in October, was initially meant to first carry natural gas.

But speaking following a trilateral meeting ahead of a summit of EUMED leaders
in Alicante, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa confirmed that the new
corridor will be "exclusively dedicated to green hydrogen". 




The pipeline should cost around €2.5 billion, according to Spanish Prime
Minister Pedro Sanchez, and enable the transport of two million tonnes of
hydrogen per year.

French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, confirmed that the three
countries will submit the project to the European Commission before by December
15 to have it declared as a "project of common interest". This would enable it
to claim up to 50% of its cost from EU funds. 

Macron also estimated that it should be completed by 2030.

 * Energy crisis: Spain and France announce new deal to build underwater gas
   pipeline

The EU has made hydrogen the cornerstone of its strategy to reach carbon
neutrality by 2050 with the share of hydrogen in the bloc's energy mix seen
reaching up to 20% by mid-century. 



It has also responded to Russia's war in Ukraine by unveiling a €210 billion
plan, called RePowerEU, to speed up the energy transition, diversify energy
supplies and boost connections between member states. 

"The Russian war against Ukraine has made it quite clear that we need to
reinforce our energy security in Europe. Obviously, this security entails
increasing our ability to produce energy without relying on third parties. And
also, even if we are forced to import some energy, it's important to drive
diversify the sources and routes taken by energy imports. The more
diversification, the less dependency we will have," Costa told reporters. 

Also present at the meeting in Alicante, European Commission President Ursula
von der Leyen said the H2MED project "goes in the right direction" as it "has
the potential to help us build a real European hydrogen backbone."

"We will produce ten million tonnes of renewable hydrogen in the EU by 2030 and
we plan to import in addition another 10 million tonnes. Hydrogen that will have
to reach our industry. This is why we also identified a series of strategic
corridors including one crossing Europe from West to East, via the Iberian
Peninsula."

"This is why today I warmly welcome this agreement between France, Spain and
Portugal," she said. 



Portugal currently produces the most affordable renewable hydrogen in the EU,
according to a report by Hydrogen Europe, which also estimated that
decarbonisation with hydrogen will require $15 trillion between 2022 and 2050.



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Strikes, sackings and surging prices: Teacher anger rages in Hungary

Hydrogen pipeline between Spain and France to be complete by 2030 and cost €2.5
billion

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