The Hungarian government unexpectedly announced on Monday that it will rescind the law on the Sunday shopping ban. Although this is an about face in the cabinet’s stance it is a logical move politically, because - in view of opinion polls on the matter - the government would have probably lost in this particular referendum.
According to the announcement made by Antal Rogán, the head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, the government is making an about face in its policy regarding the Sunday shopping ban. We’re talking about an emblematic measure of the Fidesz government it is willing to sacrifice after having it in effect for a year.
Rogán admitted that it was a divisive measure with a lot of people opposing it. He also noted that many tried to make political capital out of the issue.
“Analyses and opinions are important for the government, but the most important is how Hungarian people think about the past year under the no-work Sunday law. We need to recognise that the ban of Sunday work remains a divisive issue and we have failed to persuade the people despite all that has been achieved," Rogán told a press conference today.
It is clear that the government was concerned about the Socialist Party’s (MSZP) referendum initiative (which was green-lighted by the Supreme Court), i.e. it was anticipating that enough people will turn out and vote against the Sunday shopping ban.
According to previous opinion polls, the majority of Hungarians were unwilling to swallow the bitter pill of not being able to buy what they want in larger retail chains, supermarkets and hypermarkets on the last day of the week.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said about the no-work Sunday in an interview with public radio MR1 last Friday that it was only the first step and the cabinet is figuring out how to expand the legislation to other sectors, as well. This means a U-turn was made within just a few days. The cabinet possibly gained access to information in the last two or three days that made it change its mind. Rogán may have referred to this when he said “we have failed to convince women too, who mostly do shopping for the weekend."
Orbán also said, however, that the National Economy Minister will present a report over the weekend about the impacts of the Sunday shopping ban and the cabinet will decide in light of this what political response it will give to the planned referendum.
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