With the mediation of the Government an agreement among Hungarian Jewish communities has been arrived at in relation to the system for payment of perpetual annuities for 2012.This is the culmination of months of negotiations.

According to the agreement, the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (MAZSIHISZ) shall assign perpetuities for 2012 to other Jewish organisations listed as peers in the new Act on Churches. According to this, HUF 190 million will be paid to the Hungarian Autonomous Orthodox Jewish Community (MAOIH), and HUF 150 million will be paid to the United Hungarian Jewish Community (EMIH) from support resources for Jewish church communities. If in the future the Act on Churches recognises further Jewish communities, the parties agreed that the communities in the current agreement would grant a certain percentage of their share to the newcomers. MAZSIHISZ would contribute 80% of this, and MAOIH and EMIH would contribute 12% and 8% respectively.

Since the agreements on church perpetuities signed in 1998 there have been relevant changes in the structure of national Jewish organisations. This is also reflected in the new Act on Churches (which entered into force on 1 January 2012), as it lists two peer organisations in addition to MAZSIHISZ. Thus the Government regards these organisations as equals, and so all of them are entitled to perpetuities which up until now have only been due to MAZSIHISZ. The necessity of the negotiations on the changes was suggested by government commissioner Dr. András Levente Gál at the Jewish Community Round Table on 22 September 2011. On that occasion MAZSIHISZ – acknowledging the changed situation – made a recommendation on settling perpetuities, but there was no agreement on the title and method of payment. At the meeting on 14 December 2011 the parties agreed to give written reactions to the suggestions by 20 December – including to the Government’s delegate – so that the decision could be finalised as soon as possible.

The agreement signed today will be presented to the Hungarian Government and to the General Assembly of MAZSIHISZ for approval. Once it has been approved by the General Assembly of MAZSIHISZ and the Government, the agreement will enter into force.

The parties also agreed on restarting negotiations on the division of perpetuities in the event that the General Assembly of MAZSIHISZ does not adopt the agreement.

31 January 2012, Budapest

(kormany.hu)