2015 Annual Review of Labour Relations and Social Dialogue Hungary ILDIKÓ KRÉN March 2016  After a bad start at the beginning of 2015, with public support at its lowest point ever, the third FIDESZ-KDNP government was able to reverse the trend thanks to its harsh policy on refugees.  Left wing and liberal opposition remains as weak as before and has not been able to suc­cessfully set their own agendas.  The country’s economy in 2015 was in a period of stagnation. While industrial production increased, the state budget deficit grew and did not meet the Maastricht criteria in all points.  Wages of workers, especially public employees, of various sectors are on the bottom-line; collective bargaining in the public sector is more a one-sided public relation theatre than real bargaining. Employers’ organisations and unions say serious government consultation with social partners prior to taking decision with impacts on business and wages are lacking.  The most important development concerning trade unions was their improved capacity to formulate relevant policies after the merger of two of Hungary’s six trade union federations into the new Hungarian Trade Union Confederation(MaSZSZ) in November 2014.  Unions were able to set an agenda in public discourse more often than in previous years. However their policy-making capacity and public role is still weak.  Two main topics regarding sectoral issue were high on the agenda: first, the dramatically bad situation regarding working conditions and wages in the health care sector; and second, a campaign and public petition in support of early retirement for men, initiated by four of the five confederations. This was an important milestone for a better cooperation between unions but the referendum was rejected by a court even before the required number of signatures to initiate a plebiscite was reached.