The United States regards the Hungarian family support system as a forward-looking model which is well worth following, the Minister of State for Family and Youth Affairs at the Ministry of Human Capacities said on the public service television news channel M1 on Monday.

Katalin Novák said she spoke about Hungary’s family policy measures at a family policy conference held in Washington last Thursday. In addition to major US family organisations, the event was also attended by the White House Director of Strategic Communications and one of President Donald Trump’s personal advisors. They all took the view that the Hungarian system is well worth following.

They were particularly interested in benefits offered via taxation, including the exemption from personal income tax for women with four or more children which will take effect as of next year, and the family tax benefit. They said it was an especially forward-looking approach that some forms of family support are available already during pregnancy, after the third month of pregnancy, and they liked the short films the government commissioned with a view to promoting a family-friendly mentality, the Minister of State told M1 relating her experiences in the United States.

She added that the American attendees also praised the results of the past few years, including the facts that in Hungary the number of abortions has decreased by 33 per cent, the number of marriages has increased one-and-a-half-fold, and for twenty years young people have not been as willing to have children as they are now.

Mrs Novák further mentioned that they had started a sub-site on the website family.hu where they seek to answer frequently asked questions about the family protection action plan.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)