Zsolt Semjén, Hungary’s Deputy Prime Minister and leader of Christian Democratic Party that created the law, insisted on HírTV: “It has been proven that Sunday closures did not lead to lower traffic and nobody was made redundant, what is more, due to growing traffic more people are being employed in the retail sector.”

Passed late last year, and effective as of March 15, the law dictates that retailers must close on Sundays, unless the stores are smaller than 400 sqms and are being operated by owners.

Critics have said that the law hurts foreign hypermarkets and favors local supermarket chains, such as CBA, which has a franchise ownership structure that technically means each shop is individually owned. The head of CBA is known to be a major contributor to the ruling Fidesz party.