Brutal Losses: How Tisza's Package Would Burden Seniors

The Tisza Party's leaked economic convergence program would impose dramatic burdens on pensioners: an average retiree could lose 423,000 forints a year, while those working alongside their pension could face losses of up to 2.2 million forints annually, as calculated by Ellentpont.

The leaked economic convergence program of the Tisza Party would affect every age group, but it would hit older citizens the hardest: both their access to health care and their pension benefits would be placed at risk. With the 13th-month pension abolished, an average retiree would receive 246,000 forints less per year, while based on the calculations by Ellenpont, the average widow(er)’s pensioner would lose 423,000 forints, and pensioners working alongside their pension could face annual losses of as much as 2.2 million forints.

Photo: Index

The Tisza Party and its experts are most often associated with austerity measures, especially at the expense of pensioners. Earlier statements by Gyorgy Rasko and Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi clearly show that they do not respect the political influence of the elderly: either they wait for them to pass away, or they seek to deprive them of their right to make decisions.

The 662-page economic convergence program linked to the party reinforces this anti-elderly policy. In the chapter on pension reform, terms such as "burden" and "imposes a burden" appear frequently.

 

Pensioners’ Benefits Targeted: 13th-Month, 14th-Month, and Widow(er)’s Pensions

The Tisza Party’s plans project a 20 percent income tax rate that would also apply to widow(er)’s pensions. The study downplays pension increases, claiming that clear political motivation is the underlying reason, thereby attacking the 13th- and 14th-month pensions. This is not surprising, since both the European Commission and the OECD have repeatedly recommended abolishing the 13th month pension, which Bajnai's crisis government of the time indeed eliminated in 2009.

According to Ellentpont, the Tisza Party’s plans are supported by experts close to the party: Gyorgy Suranyi, Maria Zita Petschnig, and Andras Simonovits have repeatedly spoken in favor of reducing pensions. One of the presumed authors of the convergence program, Laszlo Lengyel, called the 14th month pension "pure insanity" on Klikk TV, adding that "it will be taken away within five minutes."

 

Working Pensioners Could Lose the Most: Up to 2.2 Million Forints

Based on the leaked draft and related statements, multiple scenarios were calculated, and the picture is grim: the Tisza Party’s plans would hit the average monthly pension of 246,187 forints (October 2025, KSH). Widow(er)’s pensions would be subjected to a punitive 20 percent tax, and both the 13th and 14th month pensions would be abolished.

Calculations by Ellenpont

Based on this, an average widow(er)’s pension recipient would receive about 35 thousand forints less per month, amounting to 423 thousand forints less annually.

The situation is even more severe if the pensioner works full-time: according to our calculations, the individual’s own pension is 246,187 forints (net), the widow(er)’s pension is 30 percent of the own pension, or 73,856 forints, the gross salary is 687,100 forints (September 2025, KSH), and on average, the pensioner would lose an additional 20,515 forints per month due to the abolition of the 13th month pension under the proposed measures.

Calculations by Ellenpont

The scenario clearly shows that the draft would strike hardest at widows/widowers and older citizens who work: a pensioner in employment could receive up to 2.2 million forints less per year.

Elements of the draft austerity package were not only applied by left-wing governments before 2010, but are also regularly promoted in public by the current advisors of the Tisza Party, in alignment with the recommendations of the European Commission and the OECD.

Cover photo: Peter Magyar, President of the Tisza Party (Source: AFP/Attila Kisbenedek)

               

       

       
       

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