Report: Fence won’t be completed until November
MTI / Zoltán Gergely Kelemen
Although Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said earlier that the wire fence the Hungarian government is building on the Serbian border will be completed by August 31, Hungarian soldiers working on the project believe that the fence will not be finished until the end of November, Hungarian online daily hir24.hu reported on Wednesday.
(Photo: MTI / Zoltán Gergely Kelemen)
Many soldiers independent of one another said that even meeting the deadline at the end of November will be difficult, and there is no way the fence will be completed by August 31. The portal reports that currently 535 soldiers are working on the project, however, these numbers are expected to increase to 900 in order to meet deadlines.
The portal said that Minister of Defence Csaba Hende promised to pay soldiers a daily gross of HUF 5,000 if they finish construction by the end of November. However, the soldiers say that they are required to work 12 hours a day “in the middle of nowhere in extremely hot weather”.
Citing soldiers working on the fence, the portal reports that some passers-by bless the soldiers, even applaud them for building the fence and for protecting the country, while others condemn them and call them ruling “Fidesz-hirelings”. Soldiers claim that the pressure from the outside world has them divided, and they no longer converse while working.
“This is not the reason why I become a soldier,” a serviceman told the Hungarian daily, asking for his name to remain anonymous. He added that other fellow servicemen are also considering quitting the army. “We are human targets, being taken advantage of by the government,” the soldier reportedly said.
ADVERTISEMENT
MNB Monetary Council Leaves Base Rate on Hold
Hungarian Lawmakers Ratify Finland's NATO Accession
Visa Launches She’s Next Grant Program in Hungary
HIPA Awards 'Investors of the Year'
SUPPORT THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For 27 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.
Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
