MEP Dávid Dóral highlighted the longstanding challenges in Hungary’s child protection system, emphasizing the need for urgent reforms to address abuse and improve conditions in child protection institutions. She called for better salaries and respect for social workers, enhanced professional training, and greater involvement of experts in policymaking. Dávid Dóral also promised significant salary increases and institutional renovations if her party, TISZA, wins the upcoming elections, alongside a commitment to transparency in high-profile abuse cases.
MEP Dóra Dávid is a Hungarian politician of the Tisza Party elected to the European Parliament in 2024. Born in 1985 in Pécs, Hungary, she has lived in London since age 16 and studied at King’s College London, the University of Cambridge, and Heidelberg University. Before becoming an MEP, she worked as a legal advisor and actively engaged in EU affairs. She is a member of the European People’s Party group and serves on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.
In a written statement to The Brussels Morning Newspaper, MEP Dávid Dóral provided a detailed assessment of the ongoing issues within Hungary’s child protection system and shared her vision for effective reform. MEP Dávid Dóral is a vocal advocate for social justice and reform, making child welfare and institutional accountability central themes of her political work.
When asked about immediate government and child protection authority actions to prevent further harm to children, MEP Dávid Dóral told The Brussels Morning Newspaper,
“For 28 years, the child protection system in Hungary has only ‘put out fires.’ Child protection workers left the profession not only because of the meagre salaries, but also because of the absence of respect and recognition of their work.”
She stressed that
“by offering a fair salary and giving these social workers the appreciation their work deserves, many professionals could return to Hungary from abroad and help our children.”
She added that legislative development must be collaborative, stating,
“To do this, legislation must be developed together with these social workers; they must be involved in decisions, their professional training must be reformed, it must be made more attractive with scholarships and other means.”
Regarding the assessment of oversight and staffing in child protection facilities and the urgent reforms needed, the MEP emphasized systemic neglect and promised concrete reforms. Dávid Dóral assured The Brussels Morning Newspaper,
She said in her FB post
“If TISZA wins the trust of the citizens and the elections, it will immediately increase the salaries of child protection workers by 25 percent, increase the operating costs of the child protection system by 20 percent, and renovate all child protection institutions by 2030.”
This reflects her commitment to both improving working conditions for staff and the physical state of institutions.
On the role of public and policymakers in ensuring accountability in abuse cases, especially where officials appear unresponsive, the MEP was clear about transparency and justice. She stated,
“If TISZA wins the next elections, we will immediately make public the full dossier of the presidential grace granted in the Bicske case.”
This refers to the controversial pardon of a deputy director involved in a child abuse cover-up, which has become emblematic of broader systemic issues.
MEP Dávid Dóral made it clear that reversing decades of neglect requires bold, transparent, and inclusive reforms focused on respect for social workers, increased funding, and firm political will to ensure accountability and protect vulnerable children in Hungary.
