Budapest aNalySiS Welfare for the Wealthy The Social Policy of the Orbán-regime, 2010-2017 Dorottya Szikra March 2018  The commitment of the Hungarian state to protect citizens from the hardships cau­sed by the economic crisis already weakened prior to 2010.  Since 2010, the Hungarian government of Viktor Orbán started to negate the values of the welfare state and the European Social Model explicitly, and proposed to build a “work-based society” instead.  During the welfare reform processes, consultation with relevant actors has stopped, and the ruling party bypassed normal parliamentary procedures and eliminated veto-players regularly.  Between 2010 and 2012, the Orbán-government nationalized private pension assets and eliminated the second, private pillar. Disability and early pensions were elimina­ted. The most vulnerable groups were excluded from the social insurance system, while the pension prospects of those in well-paid jobs and long periods of contribu­tions were made more stable.  Family policy reforms increased inequalities between families as employed parents with high incomes received formerly unseen resources through the new family tax allowance system and the reform of the child care leave payment. At the same time, families with meagre labour market opportunities or low income lost out due to the lack of upgrading the most important, universally available benefits, and due to harsh cuts in the social assistance system.