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Hungary demonstrators want their democracy back

Angry protests against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's regime intensified in Budapest today as an initial call to repeal a law on overtime work widened into a demand for a return to liberal democracy.

• The demonstrations were triggered by laws passed last week that allow employers to ask for 400 hours of overtime from employees per year (roughly 8 hours a week), which critics dubbed the “slave law." 
• The laws are meant to address an acute labor shortage in the country. Orbán has been clamping down on migration to Hungary, preventing immigrants from coming in. Meanwhile, young workers have been leaving to pursue higher wages elsewhere in the EU.  
• The protests have evolved from wanting to reverse the “slave law” into a stark opposition to the country’s authoritarian drift—and they could grow if Orbán doesn't address their grievances. 

More of today's headlines

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Lean back

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Listen up, to our podcast

A new U.S. Senate report that sheds light on Russian interference since 2016 shows the plot to divide Americans was bigger than anyone thought. Bloomberg political reporter Ben Brody joins David Meyers to discuss on today's TicToc podcast. Listen here. 

Before you go

No bees were harmed in the making of these backpacks. Researchers at the University of Washington have equipped bumblebees with tiny tracking sensors to measure the temperature, humidity and overall health of a variety of crops. 

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Till tomorrow.
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