Trade unions on front line against Orbán

"Solidarnosc Hungarian style," writes centre-left Hungarian daily Népszabadság, following a demonstration of 50,000 people in Budapest. Labelled D-Day, in reference to the Normandy landings of June 6, 1944, the demonstration was called to signify "the beginning of the end of the dictatorial power" of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Although organised by trade unions, this demonstration against austerity measures, restrictions on union rights, lack of social dialogue and new labour laws that disadvantage workers, took on a political significance, the paper notes. "Trade unions have taken on the role of the opposition," explains political scientist Gabor Török, adding, "it seems obvious to me that union leaders don't want to limit their role to defending social and economic interests. Given that the political opposition is divided, impotent and not really popular, union leaders can certainly play a political role in the future. Perhaps they will be Orbán's most dangerous opponents". Népszabadság reports that the leaders of several trade unions have decided to form a Hungarian Solidarnosc [Solidarity in Polish] based on the Polish model of the 1980s.