Hungarian minister: Get ready for a prolonged war, gas power plants to be built in Hungary

Besides the annual opening of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, another important political event is taking place in Budapest today. The PM’s Chief of Staff, Gergely Gulyás, and the government’s spokesperson, Alexandra Szentkirályi, are holding a government briefing. Find below their most important statements.

Gergely Gulyás, Head of the PM’s Office, and Alexandra Szentkirályi, Government Spokesperson, are holding a Government Briefing titled What are the reasons behind the government’s actions?. 

1. Gulyás: Prepare for a protracted war

Gergely Gulyás said that we must prepare for a protracted war, Index reports. And, if the war lasts for a long time, the negative economic consequences will remain. The Hungarian position is clear: the government clearly condemns Russian aggression and is providing humanitarian aid, he said.

2. “The Hungarian left would drag the country into war”

The Hungarian left has learned nothing from its electoral defeat, Gulyás said. He thinks the defeat was also due to its pro-war policies last year. Gulyás spoke about inflation. He said that the impact of energy prices on the Hungarian economy and domestic inflation is higher than average. He said that the causes of inflation are war, sanctions and energy prices. There are government intentions to reduce inflation. They want inflation to be in single digits by the end of the year.

3. Gulyás: The child protection debate must be fought at European level

On the subject of child protection, the minister said that Minister Judit Varga had submitted a counter-appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union in the infringement proceedings initiated against the Hungarian Child Protection Act.

Find our related article HERE.

The Government is convinced that this debate needs to be fought in the European arena. It believes that the Child Protection Act is necessary, and that it is important that it is enforced and defended in international debates.

4. Consultations with teachers’ organisations are ongoing

Gulyás said that in January the increase was 10 percent, and for another two years teachers’ salaries would be raised to 80 percent of the average salary of graduates. However, this would require that the opposition does not stand in the way of this at the European Commission and that we get the EU funds needed for the pay rise, he added.

5. The government pays the back wages at Dunaferr

On Dunaferr, the minister said that it was a complicated legal case, and the government was trying to protect the company. He promised that everyone would get their salaries. He asked the Dunaújváros municipality if it could not help, at least not to make things difficult for the government.

Find our related articles HERE and HERE.

6. Gas power plants are being built in Hungary

Viktor Orbán announced that the country will build gas power plants. Gergely Gulyás said that one of the Energy Minister’s objectives was to secure the country’s energy supply from domestic sources to the greatest extent possible. He said that gas power plants can be built quickly, although this will take 2-3 years. Gulyás will be able to answer all other questions when the proposal is ready. Based on the primary numbers, it could be built in several places and relatively quickly. There are a few companies in the EU that can build it and they could be contracted.

7. Gulyás: anti-Hungarian, racially motivated revenge

Gergely Gulyás said that the European Commission has made a decision that does not guarantee that the funds will be forthcoming at the moment, and therefore the consortia that include Hungarian university partners are in a vulnerable position. The government would like to find a solution quickly with the European Commission. Despite this, the Hungarian state is able to provide research funding for universities itself.

Gergely Gulyás added: “This is a revenge against Hungary.” He cited the government’s migration policy and child protection among the possible reasons. On the EU’s attitude, he said, “It’s an anti-Hungarian, if I want to be nasty, racially motivated revenge.”

8. He meant race on a “cultural basis”

In response to a journalist’s question, Gergely Gulyás clarified what he meant by the Erasmus case being “an anti-Hungarian, if I want to be nasty, racially motivated revenge”. The minister made clear that he meant belonging to a cultural nation.

9. Hungary wants to become a battery superpower

In response to a question, the Minister confirmed that the government believes that the future lies in green energy. The construction of battery factories in our country is part of the way to achieve this, he said.

Read our summary of the annual opening of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry here:

Read alsoOrbán: No telling what will happen to Russian-Hungarian relations, Europe is being redesigned

Source: index.hu