Spar CEO: "The euphoria regarding the Hungarian government has proven to be unfounded"

The CEO of Spar's Austrian parent company has again urged the European Commission to intervene regarding Hungary's retail tax, which the government plans to maintain. Hans Reisch expressed skepticism about the tax being abolished soon and criticized the government's previous changes as mere smoke screens. He accused the Hungarian government of systematically discriminating against foreign retail chains and not creating equal competitive conditions. He called for the European Commission to initiate infringement proceedings. The retail tax is also included in the 2027 budget, with a tax base exceeding 50 billion HUF remaining at 4.5%. Peter Manhartsberger, another executive, noted that optimism regarding the Hungarian government has proven unfounded.