More than a million persons have already taken part in the national consultation, the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister announced at a press conference held on Tuesday in Budapest.

Csaba Dömötör said so far 1,096,000 persons have completed the questionnaire which proves that the questions concern every family, and the Hungarian people are happy to state their opinions.

In the questionnaire, respondents can also state their views on the health care, economic and international implications of the coronavirus, he recalled. People can voice their opinions, among others, about whether there is a need for reinforcing domestic manufacturing capacities, a permanent Hungarian disease control monitoring service and the sharing of burdens by banks and multinational companies.

In the context of restrictive measures, multiple options can be selected, and so the government can inform itself about the measures which are most supported by the Hungarian people as those measures prove to be more most effective which are widely backed by society, he stressed.

Mr Dömötör also said we must continue to take the threat posed by the epidemic seriously also in the future as worldwide as many as 16.5 million people have tested positive for the presence of the coronavirus and 650,000 persons have died. Austria has recently tightened the rules relating to entry into the country; at the same time, yesterday alone as many as 800 new cases were registered in Ukraine, while in Romania there are some 46,000 infections.

In his view, the consultation – where the final deadline for the submission of the questionnaires is 15 August – is an opportunity to reinforce the wider dialogue which has been formed in recent months and could serve as a robust foundation for future decisions and the government’s policy.

In answer to a question, he said, as far as he is aware, the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister has not yet filed a request with the authorities for an investigation into the collection of consultation questionnaires. He pointed out at the same time that if they observe anything illegal, they will press charges. He stressed that it is illegal for anyone to prevent the questionnaires from reaching members of the public, as is for anyone to gather them with personal data without due authorisation.

He further confirmed that at its Wednesday meeting the cabinet will discuss the issue of restrictions related to the virus. He also said the cabinet is working on a programme that seeks to help musicians; several artists and groups sent in proposals for the programme.

The politician was asked about a statement made by Momentum politician Koppány Bendegúz Szarvas that demonstrations involving bloodshed could be an alternative. He said, in his view, this clearly testifies to the lack of an actual message, the fact that they do not seem to have an alternative programme. He added that Hungarians do not like politics involving violence.

In response to a statement made by publicist Balázs Gulyás about Fidesz voters, he said this class struggle concept was already widely used during communism when they tried to turn certain social groups and generations against one another. “We believe in the cooperation of generations,” he pointed out.

In answer to a question regarding the purchase cost of the Mátra Power Plant, he said the government’s number one consideration was to guarantee the jobs of the approximately 10,000 persons concerned. The purchase price was based on a company evaluation carried out by an independent international consulting firm, he added.

He also said that the ministry will provide detailed information on the matter shortly.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)