The Government is able to offer pensioners genuine help with their livelihood, János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said in evaluation at the press conference Governmentinfo 72 which he held jointly with Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács.
The Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said in explanation that this will come about as a result of a combination of multiple factors and measures, including the fact that there was no inflation, household utility bills have decreased by 30 per cent, pensions will increase by 1.6 per cent next year, and at Christmas every pensioner will receive Erzsébet vouchers worth HUF 10,000. The latter will be delivered by the government and district offices between 21 and 24 December. The reason being that the postal service would deliver each consignment for a fee of HUF 480 which would amount to a significant sum in total, he added.
According to the Minister, this year’s budget will be closed successfully, and given that this has been one of the best years from the respect of revenues, it is only fair and just that pensioners, too, are given a share of the joint efforts. He also indicated that next year’s pension increase will require an excess of HUF 56 billion.
Mr Lázár told the press that the rate of employment has not been this high since 1990, the number of those working in public works schemes has decreased by 11 thousand, while the number of workers in market employment has increased by 138 thousand. Seven hundred thousand more people are in employment today than in 2010, he highlighted. With reference to an EU survey, the Minister also said that Hungary occupies a prominent position in the integration of the Roma: it is in 2nd place as regards the employment of the individuals concerned out of the 28 Member States, and the percentage of children attending kindergarten and school is the highest here.
Joint exercise of certain powers with EU cannot violate the country’s sovereignty
The Constitutional Court concluded that when Hungary entered the European Union, it assumed the obligation to exercise certain powers with the assistance of the institutions of the EU, but this cannot breach the country’s sovereignty and cannot result in the violation of its constitutional identity, Mr Lázár said.
The Minister stated: the position of the Constitutional Court is clear, the protection of our sovereignty takes precedence over the joint exercise of powers as the joint exercise of powers cannot mean that the people’s possibility to control the country’s affairs could be curtailed. He added: the Constitutional Court’s decision may also influence the so-called quota lawsuit on its merits.
The Government’s position is unchanged in that no mandatory quotas may be imposed, he confirmed, reiterating that they insist on the protection of the common external borders, the termination of border crossing points within the Schengen Area, and the fact that the EU should recognise the costs of border protection as solidarity expenditures as these will cost the country HUF 200 billion this year.
Government to dispute phasing out of officially fixed prices
The Minister also told the press that the Government will dispute the EU’s proposal which seeks to phase out fixed official prices, and will play an intensive part in the debate. He said that the European Commission’s proposal would affect the reduction of household utility bills on its very foundations as it is guaranteed by the officially fixed prices of electricity and gas. He remarked that the Government also has other means to impact prices, but officially fixed prices are a genuine influencing factor.
New statistical legislation in the making
Mr Lázár said: the Government will have a meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday next week in Sopronbánfalva where they will discuss comprehensive, strategic issues, will evaluate the work completed by the Government to date, and will talk about the tasks to be performed in the future.
In answer to a question, he said: „the Government will go there to work, not to celebrate, not to showcase itself, and not to campaign”. The reason why they chose this location is that here they may use a state-owned property, he explained.
He said: a new statistical law is in the making which will define the status of the Central Statistical Office. The EU expects the greatest possible independence in respect of this institution, and they will now lay down the legal guarantees for this, he pointed out.
New pay scale to be prepared for settling the salaries of mayors
The Government has made a proposal to the Ministry of Interior to prepare a completely new pay scale for the purpose of settling the salaries of mayors, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office told the press.
Mr Lázár reiterated: there is an ongoing five-party consultation with respect to the amendment of the law on local governments, with a view to settling the pay of the mayors of localities with a population of less than 1,500.
The Government, however, proposed that the Ministry of Interior should compile a completely new pay scale which will seek to settle the salaries of every mayor, he said, adding that the Government is proposing a fair and just solution.
We must focus on the future in the wake of Tamás Gyárfás’s resignation
Among the Government’s decisions, Mr Lázár mentioned that they will use HUF 10 billion for closing 5 PPP projects, including the student residence of the Sopron University, a student boarding facility in Győr, the Miskolc University and the projects of the Szolnok College of Higher Education. He also said: the Government has approved a national shooting range development programme, in consequence of which one hundred new shooting ranges will be built.
The Minister was also asked about the replacement of the old Antonov aircraft. He said in reply: it will be necessary to procure 5 new aircraft, and the procurement will take place next year. Regarding the police investigation into the police murder in Bőny, he said that it will hopefully be closed by Christmas, and they agreed in the National Security Committee of Parliament not to evaluate any further ties, such as political relations, until the closure of the investigation.
Mr Lázár was asked several questions on account of the fact that Tamás Gyárfás resigned his post as President of the Hungarian Swimming Federation on Wednesday. He said in reply: the Government does not look upon this as a personal affair, and has a vested interest in making next year’s World Aquatics Championships as successful as possible. Any kind of scandal does not favour the related developments, and may detrimentally affect individual performance as well, he said. We must adopt a forward-looking approach, and there is no room for personal insults or pointing fingers, he said.
In addition to the organisation of the World Aquatics Championships, he mentioned that the prospective President should also concern himself or herself with associations in the provinces. In answer to another question, he said: the Federation’s Statutes determine the procedure for the election of the President, and the Government has no control over this. The preparations for the World Aquatics Championships continue on schedule, and the Government has made all the resources and conditions available, Mr Lázár said, who remarked in answer to a question concerning the rise in the budget of the event: he does not regard the infrastructure investments which were required regardless of the event, but are now implemented sooner as part of the costs emerging specifically on account of the Championships.
The Minister was further queried about the case of Olympic bonuses. As he said, the agreement was signed on Wednesday, and the individuals concerned may soon receive the sums they are entitled to. He said in explanation that several federations did not submit the evaluation of the athletes, coaches and those participating in the preparations by the deadline set, and as a result, both the wording and signing of the agreement took longer.
Mr Lázár also responded to the news that HUF 3.3 billion will be reallocated from the country defence fund to the refurbishment of stadiums. In his words, this year’s fiscal revenues exceeded the relevant plans, and they will therefore open all funds.
He was further asked about the fact that he spoke in words of praise about the role of church institutions in education in Mezőtúr last week. In his answer, Mr Lázár said that the fact that Hungary has managed to survive is down to Christian education and patriotism. „Had we not been Christians, we would not be here”, he said, adding: we must guarantee stable and secure foundations also in the future. He further highlighted: the concept of Christianity is featured in the national curriculum today as well. In answer to the question as to whether the State is planning to hand over schools to churches, he said that churches are cautious in taking over schools.
In answer to the question as to what Prime Minister Viktor Orbán meant by the phrase „soil replacement experiment” which he used at the Thursday meeting of the Hungarian Standing Conference, Mr Lázár said: the electors are being replaced. If immigration is organised, that affects Europe’s demographic and political processes on their merits, he pointed out.
Regarding the decision that Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó forbade Hungarian diplomats to attend the 1 December commemorations in Romania, Mr Lázár said it was a wise and correct decision, and added: „finally, at last”. The events which are commemorated on the Romanian national holiday can only be perceived as a loss from Hungary’s point of view, he said.
The Minister was also asked about Saudi businessman Ghaith Pharaon’s visa application. As he said, the necessary investigations have already been conducted, and the Hungarian authorities proceeded in compliance with the relevant regulations and the Schengen provisions. It is a different story, he took the view, why the United States did not ask Hungary to apprehend Pharaon as Hungary is an ally and the authorities cooperate with one another, but notwithstanding this circumstance, no such request has been received to this day.
In answer to a question, he pointed out: it is only right that the Government should concern itself with the ways in which attempts are being made to influence the country from outside. There are international examples as well as experiences in the neighbouring countries related to the Soros foundations, he said. He took the view that it is well worth looking into and following these developments because one may observe attempts to influence decision-makers and a country’s political regime and way of thinking from outside, by avoiding its sovereignty.
The Minister said regarding the investigation concerning the Budapest-Belgrade railway line: the European Commissioner for Internal Market is investigating the project from the respect of the rules relating to public procurement. The investigation is nearing its conclusion as the European Commission is ready to come to an agreement with Hungary.
In reply to the question as to whether the enlargement of the EU in the direction of the Western Balkans may take place in the near future, Mr Lázár said: this will certainly not happen during the mandate of the current European Commission.
(MTI)
