Thousands in Hungary march against Internet tax
Tens of thousands of protesters marched Tuesday against a plan by the Hungarian government to tax Internet use from 2015. Photo: AP- The EU Commission also fears Hungary's plan would be copied by others. Protesters however vowed to continue the rallies, which were also held in several other Hungarian cities and at some Hungarian embassies in EU countries, until the government
- This would in turn take a bite out of the telecommunications companies' allegedly large profits; and the new revenues would help improve Internet access in rural areas. Ryan Heath, spokesman for EU Digital Commissioner Neelie Kroes, said the plan
- The government, which announced the proposal last week before any consultations with industry groups or even Fidesz lawmakers, gave several explanations for the measure — it was meant to complement a tax on telephone calls, as people were
- Speakers outside the Economy Ministry called on Orban to withdraw the plan to force Internet service providers to pay 700 forints ($2.89, 2.27 euros) per individual subscriber and 5,000 forints per business subscriber every month. There are concerns
- Orban's governing party, Fidesz, won its second consecutive two-thirds majority in April and he is starting his third four-year term. Initially, the tax was set to be 150 forints per gigabyte of Internet traffic, but Fidesz said it would set a cap
- After conflicts from 2010 with the European Union and criticism from the United States and others on new laws regulating everything from the media to churches, lately the Orban government has been reproached for intimidating independent civic groups
- The rally, the second in three days objecting to the scheme, was also a sign of growing discontent among mostly younger citizens against Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policies centralizing power and increasing the role of the state to the detriment
Tens of thousands of protesters marched Tuesday against a plan by the Hungarian government to tax Internet use from 2015. Photo: AP
Thousands in Hungary march against Internet tax
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