Orbán cabinet: Hungary seen as successful model in Baden-Wuerttemberg

The Hungarian government’s work built on effective economic policy and strong family policy is seen as a successful model in Baden-Wuerttemberg, the state secretary in charge of family and youth affairs said on Tuesday.

Katalin Novák talked to MTI by phone from Stuttgart after talks with leading politicians of the state which has a total area approximately equaling Hungary’s.

Baden-Wuerttemberg faces many similar challenges as Hungary, including demographic changes, so they keep an eye on Hungarian developments, she said. Hungary can learn from the German state for instance in supporting flexible work arrangements while officials in Baden-Wuerttemberg expressed a keen interest in Hungarian family policy, including support for families expecting children, she said.

Bilateral economic relations are robust, with car industry companies from Baden-Wuerttemberg playing an important role in the Hungarian economy,

including their contributions to Hungary’s GDP and also by providing “quality jobs” to Hungarian workers, Novak added.

Novák met Guido Wolf, a member of the CDU party, and Wolfgang Reinhart, parliamentary group leader in the Landtag of Baden-Wuerttemberg, and discussed Hungary’s ruling Fidesz’s leading role in the European central right. She added that

all sides were in agreement that “it is very important that we always communicate with each other, to ask and understand each other’s motivations, because we do not always see eye to eye even with our allies”.

Novák also held talks with Hans-Ulrich Ruelke, head of the FDP party group in the Landtag, saying that despite FDP and Fidesz not being allies “our ties are very important because we have shared interests”.

Novák also participated in a commemorative event for Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet uprising held at the consulate general in Stuttgart.

As we wrote yesterday, Johann Wadephul (Germany’s ruling CDU party) told television network ZDF that Hungary needs to decide whether it wants to be a committed member of the European Union and contribute to its success. He claimed that Hungary is only reaping the financial benefits of being a member without fulfilling membership obligations. Read more details HERE.

Source: mti