There is one thing that has not changed in the past 25 years: uniting the nation across borders continues to remain our fundamental goal, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stressed at the 4th meeting of the Hungarian Diaspora Council in the grand hall of the Castle Bazaar.
In covering the results of the European parliamentary elections, the Prime Minister highlighted that a pan-national list of candidates had been compiled, and thanks to this, scattered Hungarian communities abroad are also represented in the EP.
The Prime Minister underlined that „sovereignty” is an important word which helps us understand what happened and what is happening in Hungary today: in order for us to be able to unite the nation across borders, we need sovereignty. The protection of Hungarian interests and the restoration of Hungary’s sovereignty constitutes the underlying principle of all political actions, he stated.
The European crisis had a sobering effect on the country, and we finally began to listen to common sense; we learnt that we ourselves are the source of freedom, and if we are weak, we are to fail, but if we are strong, we are then able to use the opportunities afforded by freedom, the Prime Minister highlighted.
In the context of Hungary after the change of regime, the Prime Minister said that the twenty years between 1990 and 2010 were about how the country had been sold out, and when there was hardly any of the country’s wealth left, the illusion of the welfare state was maintained from loans; however, this came to an end with the financial crisis.
The two-third majority achieved in the 2010 elections provided the authorisation for the implementation of the constitutional reforms and the transformation of the political rules, and the guiding principle of the Cabinet that was formed at the time has remained the protection of Hungarian interests and the restoration of Hungary’s sovereignty ever since. He pointed out, Hungary’s sovereignty takes its roots from the passaging of the new Constitution as well as from the restoration of our economic sovereignty and scope for action.
Viktor Orbán argued that standing up for ourselves in the European Union is the third source of our sovereignty; we must stand up for and represent the interests of the nation in the European Union as well. The Prime Minister added that the establishment of the country’s sovereignty from the viewpoint of its energy supply is another key issue.
The Prime Minister spoke about the other objectives of the Government as well: the largest economic development programme in the history of Hungary will be launched, motorways will lead to every border of the country and will provide access to all major localities. The reduction of state administration expenses and the implementation of the State reform will continue, and the ongoing reduction of the sovereign debt and the consolidation of the system of taxation remain priority targets.
Viktor Orbán stressed that they would like to achieve full employment so that everyone should have jobs and no one should be without work on a long-term basis. „Hungary will become Europe’s most flexible labour market by the end of this governmental term.” As regards the banking system, the Prime Minister stated that there is no national sovereignty if the banking system is not in Hungarian hands. There are clear results, and the prospects of the motherland are promising, he highlighted.
The Prime Minister took the view that Hungary’s reputation may be restored in the field of the economy, and our employment figures are particularly favourable within the European Union.
In the context of Hungary’s geopolitical situation, the Prime Minister pointed out: we do not want to see new walls being built in Europe, and proposed that Hungary should pursue a „sensible and calm” geopolitical approach. There is a Hungarian-friendly policy in Hungary, and this is what determines our actions; and as regards our political alliances, we are clearly committed to both the EU and NATO.
The national register and the Kőrösi Csoma Sándor programmes designed to help scattered Hungarian communities will continue; HUF 1 billion is available in next year’s budget for the reinforcement of Hungarian cultural initiatives, and HUF 500 million has been allocated for the purposes of the Mikes Programme that seeks to rescue the cultural values of scattered Hungarian communities, he added.
The Prime Minister also said that demographic issues will remain in focus. In the context of next year’s tax laws, the Prime Minister highlighted that they seek to consolidate the family support systems and will introduce benefits that promote marriage. Mr Orbán shared his belief that immigration is not a solution to the demographic decline; there are family policy solutions which may attempt to reverse the negative trends, while immigrants must be supported by way of aid provided for their native countries.
(Prime Minister's Office)
