Brussels, 31/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - Pressure from Hungarian demonstrators and the European Commission have won out against Hungary's plan to tax downloads. On Friday 31 October, the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, announced the withdrawal of his proposal, which some commentators had described as an attack on freedom. Following a week of silence on the subject, he finally asserted that the Internet tax could not be introduced in its current shape and could not be validated in the circumstances.
European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes immediately expressed her relief at the announcement of this withdrawal of the draft law. She said that she was pleased for the Hungarian people, “their voices were heard” and affirmed that she was proud the European Commission had played a positive role in defending European values and a digital Europe.
The Commission itself criticised the draft Hungarian law as a “bad idea” on 29 October, just as tens of thousands of demonstrators were gathering in Budapest to denounce Viktor Orban's project that week. (MD)