In 2006 the Hungarian government proposed health service reforms which included hospital closures, the introduction of fees, and the privatisation of health finance by the creation of regional, part private, insurance funds.

Parliament first passed a law to introduce fees for patients, which had to be paid every time they saw a doctor or stayed in a hospital - the same law introduced fees for other public services, including university education. Oposition parties organised a campaign against these fees, and initiated a process to force a public referendum. They secured enough signatures to force a referendum in 2008 which resulted in a large majority against the law. The fees had to be abandoned after operating for a few months.

Opposition to the privatisation of funding was led by a campaign group formed by a number of organisations, led by Vedegylet (‘Protect the Future’), the health trade union EDDSZ, other trade unions, and the doctors’ association. The campaign used a wide range of tactics, including mass demonstrations, events to gain media attention, published critiques of the proposals, and televised debates.

The campaign gathered over 400,000 signatures – twice as many as was needed to force another referendum – against the law proposing the creation of regional insurance funds run by private companies. Rather than risk another defeat, the government agreed to abandon these plans. By late 2008, all the proposals had been dropped.

Read more at > Vedegylet (EN)

And at > EIRO (EN)