Government official: In trouble, Hungarians band together

The past year was unlike any previous one, but it proved that “we, Hungarians band together in times of trouble”, government spokeswoman Alexandra Szentkirályi said in her New Year’s message on Friday.

“The coronavirus epidemic has completely overridden our plans, endeavours and goals. We however still have every reason to look to 2021 with high hopes,” she said on Facebook.

But aside from the hardship, 2020 “also left for us many valuable things with which we ought to carry on,” Szentkirályi said.

These include people’s care for one another, the strength of family as a community, the sense of responsibility people had towards the elderly and the realisation of the primary importance of one’s own health, she said.

“It has given us hope for 2021 that the first inoculations with a vaccine available against the coronavirus have already taken place and mass vaccinations are expected to be taking place during the next six months,” the spokeswoman said. “All this means that life may hopefully get back to normal soon.”

Szentkirályi noted that the government had implemented several measures that may give Hungarians hope in the new year. These, she said, included measures supporting families based on the concept that a family with solid foundations is the key to the country’s survival and future success.

Further, she noted measures aimed at assisting the recovery of Hungary’s economy amid the epidemic.

“Our government is convinced that the right policy in the economic crisis caused by the epidemic is cutting, rather than increasing taxes,” she said.

Szentkirályi further noted among the economic measures the unprecedented wage increases beginning this year for health-sector employees.

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Source: MTI