Thousands of Hungarian judges, court staff, and supporters marched to the ministry of justice in Budapest on Saturday, demanding judicial independence, freedom of expression for judges, and better pay. The independence of Hungary's courts has been a contentious issue, causing a rift between Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist government and the European Union.
In November, judges expressed discontent following an agreement tying salary increases to broad-based reforms, which critics claim pressured the National Judicial Council to sign hastily and in secrecy, without proper consultation.
Judge Zoltan Endredy, one of the organizers, stated, "That was the first time that we thought that we should organize the judges, to show that we are not a chain of butchers who can be told what to do, but the third branch of government." Demonstrators also demanded more rights for judges to voice dissatisfaction and called for increased pay due to high turnover rates of court staff.
Judge Rita Kiszely, present at the protest, emphasized, "Our first cause is to protect judicial independence. We are not saying it has been eliminated. However, signs show it is under threat," noting a lack of recent consultations with judicial bodies on crucial legislation.
In response, the prime minister's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, assured that the constitution guarantees judicial independence. He announced plans for judges’ salaries to increase by 50% over two years, reaching nearly 2.3 million forints ($5,974) by 2027, with court employees' salaries to rise by 80-100%.