Heesen: "Present day Hungary is no longer a constitutional democracy"

“I explicitly support the protest of the German professional association for social work against the detention of Norbert Ferencz,” CESI President Peter Heesen stated on 1st December. The Hungarian social worker called for protest action against the government by social workers in Budapest and was consequently sentenced on 4th November to three years imprisonment for breach of the peace. The protest was called in the light of the Orbán government policy against homeless people, who for months have been systematically criminalised. “Hungary is departing further and further from what makes a constitutional democracy,” Heesen said. “The European Union must stop inactively accepting this state of affairs,” claimed Heesen, who is convinced that Hungary would not be accepted into the EU in its present political condition if it were still a pre-accession country.

The German professional association for social work (DBSH) is a member of the CESI through the German federation of civil servants (dbb). Even at the start of November, the expanded board of the DBSH stated the following concerning the detention of its Hungarian colleague: “Together with many other European associations, the DBSH strongly protests against the repressive measures to which colleagues in Hungary are subjected.” CESI Present Heesen addressed Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán months ago in a critical letter. Heesen has now reasserted and intensified his criticism: “For months, we have seen the situation for minorities in Hungary becoming increasingly difficult. Repressive measures are becoming greater and greater. Laws are being made, which are clearly in violation of basic and human rights. Europe must no longer turn a blind eye here. Present day Hungary is no longer a constitutional democracy. If it were not already an EU member, its acceptance today would not be permitted.”

Social worker Norbert Ferencz called Hungarian social workers to action on the street in order to protest against the government treatment of homeless people. In Hungary, action has recently been taken against rummaging through refuse for food or deposit refund bottles as a regulatory offence. The government wants to fight poverty by criminalising it. The Ferencz call to protest was directed both against this and against the increasingly difficult working conditions of Hungarian social workers.