Thousands join Hungarians judges’ rally

BUDAPEST (AFP): Judges, judicial employees, and sympathizers marched Saturday for judicial independence in central Budapest, ending at the Justice Ministry building.

Around 4,000 people attended, an AFP photographer estimated, signaling rising discontent with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been in power since 2010.

The judges’ association called the rally — the first of its kind in Hungary — months after the government made a controversial deal with a top judicial body linking pay rises to reforms.

Ahead of the demonstration, Orban’s chief of cabinet, Gergely Gulyas, questioned whether judicial workers have the right to protest, while a prominent pro-government pundit suggested listing the attending judges.

“The independence of the judiciary is another foundation of a normal democracy that should not be allowed to be booted out, just like education and everything else that (ruling party) Fidesz has slowly dismantled one by one in this country,” said Marton Loska, an entrepreneur who came with his family including eight-month-old twins.

“If the Hungarian judges come out on the street, then I think we’re past the point of no return because they are not used to doing this” legal practitioner Vass Katalin, 50, told AFP.

Echoing her, Judit, a 58-year-old lawyer who did not want to give her surname, said the final straw was reached long ago.

Since returning to lead the country in 2010, Orban has faced criticism over weakening democratic institutions, including the judiciary, often clashing with the European Union over rule-of-law issues.

Brussels has already frozen billions in EU funds for Hungary over its backsliding on the bloc’s standards, permanently barring access to a billion euros earmarked for the country at the start of this year.