The government is drafting legislation to ensure that a church cannot run a number of schools out of proportion with the size of its Hungarian congregation. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made the announcement on Monday, in the wake of reports that the evangelical church Hit Gyülekezet was taking over the running of several schools from cash-strapped local councils. The website origo.hu reported in May that the Catholic Church has taken over 41 schools this year, bringing its total to 224. Protestant churches have increased the number of schools under their control to 129. On Tuesday Fidesz politician Károly Pánczél tabled a motion to amend the law such that a church could only take over the running of a school with the backing of a majority of parents.
