Initially the radio programme 168 óra (168 hours) announced today's demonstration under the title A Furious Crowd to Demonstrate on Kossuth Square, however, at the end of the day there was only anger, and even that was rather subdued. The demonstration protesting against private pension payments being transferred into state pension schemes took place in Budapest's Kossuth Lajos Square, but managed to attract only a few hundred people. 

Addressing the demonstrators assembled on the square, one of the main organisers, András Csőke, said that they are protesting against the government's law under which money paid into private pension funds will be directed into the state pension scheme for 14 months. Csőke proposed that the competent parties begin a dialogue with the demonstrators.

The organizers of the demonstration have drafted a letter to Viktor Orbán, in which they remind the prime minister that the measure will affect some three million private pension fund members. The letter goes on to express their grievance that the government has made no attempt to reach an agreement with those affected or their representatives.  

The letter read: we appreciate that the country is in a difficult situation but "we regard it as unacceptable that there is an attempt to solve the problem through the withdrawal of private pension fund payments". They request that Victor Orbán initiate the rescinding of this law which is detrimental to the interests of pension fund members and that he ensure the opportunity - through the establishment of an expert panel - for independent professionals and the representatives of the three million fund members to express their opinions on the issue.    

The organizers also said that their letter - with a list of signatures supporting its content - would be sent to the addressee soon.

However, it was not only members of the public who launched an attack today: MSZP also voiced its opinion on the pension affair. The opposition party submitted a draft proposal to Parliament calling for the state to return to the affected parties the pension fund payments transferred to the state budget as pension contributions as well as any unrealized profits.

Péter Kiss informed MTI on Sunday that along with ten fellow MPs - including the party president, Attila Mesterházy - he had submitted a draft proposal to Parliament calling for compensation to be made to the private pension fund members. In the draft proposal the MPs call on Parliament to request that the government submit a bill on the matter by the end of the year. According to the proposal, the extent of the unrealised profits should be set according to the average yield realised by private pension funds in the given period and should at least take into consideration the level of inflation.

Péter Kiss warned that at present it is not possible to know in what form and when the withdrawn payments will be returned to the accounts of the private pension fund members. The party's proposal refers to the provision safeguarding the right of ownership, which is a fundamental law of the Constitution. In their opinion this "temporary suspension" contravenes this provision.  

In their proposal the socialists claim that they agree with those who say that the state's measure to transform private pension fund payments into state pension contributions limits an acquired right of pension fund members as well as their reimbursement. It is also clear that unrealized payments by necessity reduce the accumulated capital and the amount of the accumulating yields and thus the amount of future pensions, reads the proposal.     

From the government's side the prime minister's spokesperson responded to the double socialist move, as not only Péter Kiss but Tibor Szanyi also spoke out on the issue. According to Péter Szijjártó, the overwhelming majority of people will transfer the money they allocate for their pensions to the state pension system, because this represents security for them and a sure pension.

The Fidesz politician talked to MTI after Tibor Szanyi, a member of the MSZP's presidium, said at a press conference on Sunday that his party suggested people refrain from swapping to the state pension scheme and that they should not give away their money to "fill the pockets of the Fidesz lords".

In reference to this Péter Szijjártó said that they were sorry that the socialists persisted in maintaining that people should not pay the money allocated for their pension into a safe place but should instead try their luck through speculative businessmen on the stock exchange. 

Szijjártó stated that in order for people to be able to put the money they allocate for their pensions in a safe place the government has made it possible to switch over from the private pension fund system to the state pension scheme, or return to it, if they wish. He said that the in the Ministry for National Economy the drafting of the law that will lay down the precise regulations for the switch over was in the "final stage". He added that the government would pass the bill on this issue as soon as possible.

According to Szijjártó, the regulations will make it possible for everybody to switch over to the state pension scheme.